We got a look at Albemarle’s lithium mine in Kings Mountain. Here are 7 things to know
As Albemarle Corp. seeks approval to reopen its lithium mine and production in North Carolina, the Charlotte-based company offered a glimpse inside of what’s to come.
The mine, about 30 miles west of Charlotte, is expected to play a critical role in establishing the U.S. as a leader in electric vehicle evolution as one of the few hard rock lithium deposits in the country.
A quick drive past the technology center and large blue metal hydroxide plant in operation at Albemarle’s Kings Mountain site shows a dirt and gravel road that leads to the company’s future mine site.
But now, it looks like a rock quarry recreation area with deep blue water, a haven for wildlife. A boat sits tied to a dock as a blue heron takes flight from the shoreline. Atop the west hill is the Kings Mountain Gateway Trail and a view of the back of the former Hounds Drive-In that closed this year after Albemarle bought the property.
Albemarle’s presence in the Charlotte region has been expanding rapidly, visible by the parking lot construction adding more spaces in at the 1,200-acre 348 Holiday Inn Road site in Kings Mountain.
The company has about 1,100 employees in Charlotte and Kings Mountain, up 85% over the last three years, said Ellen Lenny-Pessagno, global vice president of external affairs, during a media tour of the mine on Tuesday. Albemarle has has over 8,000 workers globally.
The dormant lithium plant is expected to initially support the manufacturing of 1.2 million electric vehicles annually. Lithium — a relatively rare soft, light metal found in rocks and subsurface fluids — also powers everything from consumer electronics to life-saving medical devices, as well as strengthening glass for smartphone screens.
Here are seven takeaways from a tour of the lithium mine and what it could mean for the Charlotte region as it tries to position itself at the forefront of the EV market.
The Kings Mountain was already mined for lithium
Albemarle acquired the former Rockwood Holdings mine in 2015.
The Cleveland County lithium mine operated from 1938 to 1988. The U.S. Department of Energy extracted lithium in 1950 for the hydrogen bomb, a sign under a pavilion at the site states.
Rockwood closed the Kings Mountain mine as demand dried up and the company moved to more cost-effective brine deposits in Chile, said Cindy Estridge, community affairs specialist, during the tour.
However, now there’s a global surge in demand for lithium-ion batteries for EVs and other uses, such as cell phones and medical devices.
Today, most lithium conversion and cathode production capacity is in China, according to Albemarle. However, the Southeast region is growing a lithium battery supply chain ecosystem, said Kirsten Martin, community affairs manager, during the tour.
The Kings Mountain campus has about 300 employees and contractors. The mine could add 300 full-time, skilled jobs to operate the mine, Estridge said.
Is lithium mining in Kings Mountain a sure thing?
Albemarle is still in the exploratory phase, which includes environmental, social and feasibility studies.
However, the company expects to submit for local and state permits next year, Martin said. Key permit applications will be submitted to federal, state and local agencies.
The permit timeline could be six months to several years, Martin said.
Albemarle continues investing in studies to increase its understanding of the resource. Following the development studies and permitting, the next phases would be construction, operation and closure.
The company is in the feasibility assessment phase, so the investment cost is still undetermined, but could cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
Construction to reopen the mine could start in late 2025, depending on permit approvals, with production beginning in 2026.
What will Albemarle do with all the water?
Dewatering the pit will be among the first steps. Over the last 40 years, rainwater has filled the pit. The deepest spot is 163 feet deep, Estridge said.
About 1.8 billion gallons of water will be pumped out slowly into nearby Kings Creek, Estridge said. It will take about 18 months to dewater the pit, moving 2,500 gallons of water per minute.
The mine will still be filtered and treated for sediment and odors, she said.
The turtles and fish also will be re-homed, Estridge said.
Then construction of the mine will begin.
Why is lithium extracted from the Kings Mountain site?
The white rock visible in on the ground and walls at the pit site are pegmatite.
Estridge pointed out the large green areas, called spodumene, in a white rock that is extracted by a technical process to make lithium.
In Kings Mountain, the rock formations have a high concentration of spodumene minerals.
How long will mining last?
The lifespan of the lithium mine could be 10 years, Martin said.
However, depending on the results of the feasibility study, the mine could be economically viable for up to 30 years, according to Albemarle.
The footprint of the site will remain similar to what is there today, expanding slightly to the south.
What happens after the mine closes?
The site could eventually become a community recreation site with trails and a park, Estridge said.
“Look what’s happened here in 40 years,” she said.
Can I tour the mine?
Yes. Since June about 300 community members have toured the lithium mine site, according to Albemarle.
Mine tours are offered several days a week. Mine tours this month can be scheduled 2-4 p.m. Dec. 6, 1-3 p.m. Dec. 7, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Dec. 12, 1-3 p.m. Dec. 14 and 10 a.m.-noon Dec. 19, according to a sign at the center.
Visitors also can go to Albemarle’s Kings Mountain Project Center at 129 W. Mountain St. in downtown. It’s open for walk-in visitors to learn more about the proposed Kings Mountain mine project and employment information.
About Albemarle Corp.
Albemarle is the world’s top producer of lithium, with mines in Australia, Chile and Nevada.
In September, the U.S. Department of Defense approved a $90 million grant to support reopening the dormant lithium mine. The money will be used to purchase a fleet of mining equipment.
Also in September Texas-based Caterpillar and Albemarle signed an agreement that will pioneer sustainable mining technologies and operations, according to the companies, using “next-generation, battery-powered mining equipment.”
In March, Albemarle said it will invest $1.3 billion and create more than 300 jobs to build a lithium hydroxide processing facility on 800 acres in Richburg, S.C., in Chester County. The site will support demand for electric vehicles and other lithium-ion battery uses.
Last December, Albemarle said it would invest $200 million and create at least 200 jobs to establish an advanced materials research and development facility in Charlotte’s University City area focused on lithium and battery tech. The facility is expected to open in early 2025.
Albemarle relocated its headquarters from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to Charlotte in 2015, specializing in lithium, bromine and refining catalysts. It has 5,400 employees, including 463 workers at its global headquarters in Charlotte, and serves customers in 100 countries.
North Carolina embracing EV, lithium
Several EV-related companies are choosing North Carolina, from Toyota to vehicle charging stations makers. Here’s the latest in the Charlotte region:
▪ Siemens Foundation is partnering with North Carolina for its EVeryone Charging Forward program, a $30-million, 10-year EV industry workforce training and development initiative.
▪ Polestar, an all-electric vehicle dealership, opened in SouthPark in September.
▪ Alpitronic, based in Italy, is setting up headquarters off West Park Drive in Charlotte.
▪ Atom Power plans to invest $4.2 million to expand its Huntersville electric vehicle charging technology company.
▪ Toyota is investing another $8 billion to its under-construction lithium-ion battery plant in Randolph County. It will add eight battery production lines to six already planned and create another 3,000 new jobs near Liberty. Toyota’s total investment will be $13.9 billion. The automaker is looking for domestic sources of lithium, such as in Kings Mountain.
▪ Dai Nippon Printing Co., a Japanese lithium-ion battery parts manufacturer, will create 352 jobs and invest $233 million in Davidson County to build its first U.S. advanced manufacturing facility in Linwood.
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