Albemarle Corp. ordered pyro-processing and comminution equipment for its lithium hydroxide processing plant at its Kemerton site near Bunbury in Australia. The construction of this greenfield project started in January 2019, and production is scheduled to commence in 2021.

Metso's will supply calciner and acid-roaster systems, ball mills, off-gas handling systems and other auxiliaries. Its pyro-processing technology will deliver high lithium recovery with low fuel consumption.

The plant will initially consist of three production trains, each producing 20,000 metric tons per year of lithium hydroxide, with a potential expansion to five trains that will see production increase to 100,000 metric tons per year by around 2025. The plant will be supplied with lithium concentrate produced at the nearby Greenbushes mine.