The stranglehold China has on Lithium refining is breaking and that will "rock the supply chain" (couldn't resist it).
AKE, Naraha JV in JAPAN processes (primary grade) LITHIUM CARBONATE FROM BRINE into (battery grade) LITHIUM HYDROXIDE. Has for years & years
Livent, Bessemer City NC, USA processes (I think its their technical grade) LITHIUM CARBONATE FROM BRINE into (battery grade) LITHIUM HYDROXIDE. Has for years and years as well. Also IRA compliant because while the brine/carbonate comes from Argentina the Lithium mineral in the battery is processed in USA. Said this in this forum multiple times
https://ir.livent.com/news/news-det...uction-Site-in-the-United-States/default.aspxThen there are the Australian refineries at Kwinana and Kemerton built to refine SPODUMENE to (battery grade) HYDROXIDE
Then there is the POSCO/JV in Korea nearing completion to refine SPODUMENE to (battery grade) HYDROXIDE
Then there are the NA refineries (Nemaska in Quebec & TSLA in TX under construction and TLP in TN permitted for construction) that will refine SPODUMENE to (battery grade) HYDROXIDE
There is also AMG Lithium which will refine SPODUMENE (from their Mibra mine in Brazil) into a "Technical Grade Precursor" material that is shipped to GERMANY for REFINING (Bitterfeld-Wolfen and expected it will be the first refinery in Europe for battery-grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate) ... under construction
https://amg-nv.com/wp-content/uploads/AMG-Fact-Sheet_AMG-Lithium.pdf
There is also Sibanye-Stillwater project in Keliber Finland to produce (battery grade) HYDROXIDE from its own mined SPODUMENE
There are also facilities under construction in Saudi- Arabia to process SPODUMENE mined by European Lithium into HYDROXIDE is Saudi Arabia for BMW.
https://mining.com.au/european-lith...o-saudi-arabia-after-signing-jv-with-obeikan/
And I end with this one .... its big, it may or may not proceed ... TeesValley Lithium Project in United Kingdom ... 96Ktpy of LiOH
https://teesvalleylithium.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/ALK-Presentation-August-2022.pdf
(20min delay)