Albemarle has lithium refineries in China and Australia but...

Albemarle has lithium refineries in China and Australia but nothing in North America, this can not please the US government who want ev supply chain independence.

Albemarle have paused there plans to build a refinery in South Carolina. That project had not even got past permitting approval.

That brings us to Noth Atlantic Lithium in Quebec.

It does have permitting for lithium carbonate and it does have a producing mine on the same site.

Albemarle could get back into the good books by taking over downstream processing at NAL at a cost far less than what they were going to spend in South Carolina.

The refineries that Albemarle has in Qinzhou, China produce both lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate.

Albemarle know how to get it done, not many others do.

FYI. the general cargo ship UHL FAST is about 12 days from arriving in Qinzhou with a load of spod that I believe has come from NAL.

If that is correct, Sayona and Albemarle already have a working relationship.

Collaboration for downstream processing at NAL would just be an expansion of what they already do.

https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/lithium-producer-albemarle-cut-workforce-lower-spending-2024-2024-01-17/