Status
Operational: Legacy record named Targray/Livent in Charlotte
Product: Lithium hydroxide. Capacity: 20. kt/yr (Legacy figure; not re-verified).
LiOH supply for high-nickel CAM producers (NMC811 and NCA require LiOH not Li2CO3); domestic US lithium hydroxide supply; IRA critical mineral.
Customers and offtakers: Multiple CAM producers.
Plant record
Plant record
| Company | Rio Tinto (Arcadium Lithium, formerly Livent) |
| Plant | Bessemer City Lithium Hydroxide Plant |
| City | Bessemer City |
| State or province | North Carolina |
| Country | USA |
| Stage | chemical |
| Chemistry or product | Lithium hydroxide |
| Capacity (kt/yr) | 20. |
| Capacity basis | Legacy figure; not re-verified |
| Status | operational |
| Status note | Legacy record named Targray/Livent in Charlotte; the plant is Livent (now Rio Tinto) at Bessemer City. Operating status not re-verified |
| Scale | commercial |
| Start year | 2020 |
| Investment (US$ billion) | 0. |
| Customers and offtakers | Multiple CAM producers |
| Feedstock | Atacama lithium brine + hard rock |
| Metal inputs | Li |
| Geopolitical exposure | LOW |
| Record updated | 2026-10 |
Official site: riotinto.com
In context
Where it fits
Listed in Cathode Active Materials. Cathode plants are compared on stage (chemical, precursor or finished CAM), chemistry, capacity and qualified customers; a plant qualified for one chemistry and one cell maker is not interchangeable supply.
| Plant | Country | Status |
|---|---|---|
| North Andover Plasma CAM Line (6K Energy) | USA | operational |
| Battle Creek CAM Plant (BASF TODA America) (BASF) | USA | operational |
| Elyria Battery Materials Plant (BASF) | USA | operational |
| Direct Lithium Extraction pilot (International Battery Metals) | USA | operational |
| Mountain View LFP/LMFP Line (Mitra Chem) | USA | operational |
| Robstown Lithium Refinery (Tesla) | USA | ramping |
| Clarksville Cathode Plant (LG Chem) | USA | under construction |
| Thacker Pass (Lithium Americas) | USA | under construction |
| Kings Mountain Lithium (Albemarle) | USA | announced |
| Hell's Kitchen (Controlled Thermal Resources) | USA | announced |
Sources
Sources and scope
- Scope
- Bessemer City Lithium Hydroxide Plant (Rio Tinto (Arcadium Lithium, formerly Livent))
- Sources
- ElectronsX cathode dataset; company disclosures and filings
- Updated
- 2026-10