Kings Mountain Lithium

Albemarle · Kings Mountain, USA · Battery-grade chemicals

Battery chemical refinery operated by Albemarle in Kings Mountain, USA. Status: announced.

Kings Mountain Lithium: cathode plant illustration with co-precipitation reactor and rotary kiln; Battery-grade chemicals, status announced, USA Battery-grade chemicals Announced USA
Capacity
20. kt/yr
Chemistry
Spodumene concentrate to lithium hydroxide (planned)
Start year
2025
Hub
Supply Chain

Status

Announced: Mine restart in permitting

Product: Spodumene concentrate to lithium hydroxide (planned). Capacity: 20. kt/yr (Legacy figure; not re-verified).

Albemarle Kings Mountain lithium mine restart; historic US lithium mine; spodumene to LiOH conversion; IRA domestic lithium supply anchor; feeds US CAM plants.

Customers and offtakers: Multiple US CAM producers.

Plant record

Plant record

Kings Mountain Lithium (Albemarle)
CompanyAlbemarle
PlantKings Mountain Lithium
CityKings Mountain
State or provinceNorth Carolina
CountryUSA
Stagechemical
Chemistry or productSpodumene concentrate to lithium hydroxide (planned)
Capacity (kt/yr)20.
Capacity basisLegacy figure; not re-verified
Statusannounced
Status noteMine restart in permitting; no construction confirmed; Albemarle cut US capital spending in 2024-25
Scalecommercial
Start year2025
Investment (US$ billion)0.
Customers and offtakersMultiple US CAM producers
FeedstockSpodumene hard rock (Kings Mountain)
Metal inputsLi
Geopolitical exposureLOW
Record updated2026-10

Official site: albemarle.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.

Other plants of Albemarle and other plants in USA
PlantCountryStatus
North Andover Plasma CAM Line (6K Energy)USAoperational
Battle Creek CAM Plant (BASF TODA America) (BASF)USAoperational
Elyria Battery Materials Plant (BASF)USAoperational
Direct Lithium Extraction pilot (International Battery Metals)USAoperational
Mountain View LFP/LMFP Line (Mitra Chem)USAoperational
Bessemer City Lithium Hydroxide Plant (Rio Tinto (Arcadium Lithium, formerly Livent))USAoperational
Robstown Lithium Refinery (Tesla)USAramping
Clarksville Cathode Plant (LG Chem)USAunder construction
Thacker Pass (Lithium Americas)USAunder construction
Hell's Kitchen (Controlled Thermal Resources)USAannounced

Sources

Sources and scope

Scope
Kings Mountain Lithium (Albemarle)
Sources
ElectronsX cathode dataset; company disclosures and filings
Updated
2026-10