Albemarle-Caterpillar partnership charges up battery value chain
Albemarle Corporation has signed agreements with Caterpillar Inc to collaborate on solutions to support the full circular battery value chain and sustainable mining operations.
The collaboration aims to support Albemarle’s efforts to establish Kings Mountain, North Carolina in the US, as the first-ever zero-emissions lithium mine site in North America, utilising next-generation, battery-powered mining equipment.
In return, Albemarle’s North American-produced lithium will be made available for use in Caterpillar battery production, with further research opportunities between the two companies on battery cell technology and recycling techniques.
Albemarle energy storage president Eric Norris says the company is committed to building a more resilient world.
“Our partners are critical to achieving that impact, and this collaboration with Caterpillar exhibits how we ‘walk the talk’ to pioneer what’s next,” he said.
“It’s a win-win-win scenario, in which we are both customers and suppliers of each other, and the innovation we pursue together benefits the world.
“Beyond supplying infrastructure and materials, battery-powered Caterpillar machinery and potential improvements to cell technology will open up new possibilities for the future of sustainable mining.
“We look forward to replicating at Kings Mountain the same progress that we have made toward social and environmental responsibility at our Salar de Atacama operation, where we became the first lithium producer in the world to complete a third-party audit and publish our report through the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance’s (IRMA) stringent standard.”
The announcement, made yesterday, comes on the heels of Albemarle’s recent award of $141m (US$90m) from the US Department of Defense to support the expansion of domestic mining and the production of lithium for the nation’s battery supply chain.
Albemarle commercial VP for North America, Europe and India for energy storage Anita Natesh says the company is creating a new pathway with Caterpillar to “bring more sustainable mining equipment to market… and in the process, demonstrate that our commitment to powering the clean energy transition extends beyond our collaborations with auto OEMs.”
Caterpillar senior vice president of electrification and energy solutions Rod Shurman says the company is developing lithium-ion batteries and battery-electric products today for global customers that are driving towards net zero carbon emissions goals.
“The agreements for lithium offtake and potential collaboration on R&D signed today will help to advance this work and further build out a secure, resilient and sustainable value chain for electrified equipment across the Caterpillar portfolio, while also supporting Albemarle’s journey to more sustainable operations,” he said.
