Who is Piedmont Lithium?
We are a global lithium business headquartered in Gaston County, North Carolina. We’re working to become a leading producer of lithium products in North America and one of the most sustainable producers of lithium hydroxide in the world.
How many projects do you have?
Currently, we have four capital projects in our global portfolio that are strategically assembled to help supply lithium resources to the North American market. We are planning to produce a combined total of 60,000 metric tons of lithium hydroxide annually through our planned Tennessee Lithium conversion facility and Carolina Lithium projects. The 60,000 metric tons of battery-grade lithium we plan to produce should supply approximately 1.2 million electric vehicles per year¹, and should greatly add to the current annual U.S. production capacity of approximately 20,000 metric tons.
Our jointly owned North American Lithium project in Quebec began commercial production in March 2023 and commercial shipments of spodumene concentrate in August 2023. We also are advancing plans for the mining of lithium resources at the Ewoyaa Lithium Project in Ghana. Our strategy is to help supply Tennessee Lithium production with raw materials sourced from Ghana and Quebec via offtake agreements. Lithium hydroxide production at Carolina Lithium is expected to be supplied from minerals mined within the project site.
¹ Based on 50 KWh per vehicle as forecasted by Rho Motion
Why is made-in-America lithium hydroxide important?
We believe the domestic production of lithium hydroxide is vitally important to U.S. energy security and the growing effort to build robust, American-made supply chains for electric vehicles (EV) and battery manufacturers.
The demand for lithium is soaring, largely because of the growing demand for EVs. Every EV requires a battery, and every battery needs lithium. Lithium equips batteries with a long lifespan, a high-power capacity, and a unique ability to charge quickly – all while requiring less maintenance than traditional internal combustion engine vehicles.
However, not enough lithium hydroxide – or battery-grade lithium – is produced in the U.S. or globally to power the electrification of transportation. Currently, China produces approximately 80% of the world’s supply of lithium hydroxide, while the U.S. produces just 20,000 metric tons per year.
What is spodumene?
Spodumene is what we plan to extract elsewhere in our global portfolio before turning it into a lithium salt at Tennessee Lithium for EV and battery manufacturers.
How is spodumene converted to lithium hydroxide?
Piedmont Lithium is a hard rock lithium producer, which involves creating battery grade lithium from a concentrated rock that contains lithium-bearing spodumene ore. We have an offtake agreement with the Ewoyaa Lithium Project in Ghana, West Africa, where our partners plan to mine for spodumene ore and crush and filter the ore to produce spodumene concentrate.
Resources from the Ewoyaa project are expected to feed our Tennessee Lithium operation, where we plan to convert the spodumene concentrate to lithium hydroxide with an innovative process that uses primarily steam and pressure. Our final product will be battery-grade lithium, a salt-like, non-flammable, non-hazardous compound, for U.S. EV and battery manufacturers.
Will you mine at Tennessee Lithium?
No. We expect to mine for spodumene ore elsewhere in our global portfolio and convert it to spodumene concentrate before sending it to Tennessee Lithium for conversion to battery grade lithium.
Is lithium hydroxide a fire or explosive risk?
No. The lithium hydroxide we plan to produce is not flammable or explosive. Although there are other forms of lithium, such as lithium metal, that can be highly reactive, lithium hydroxide does not fall into that category and can be treated just like any other non-hazardous, non-explosive material. We are not producing the lithium-ion batteries, which occasionally have had instances of fire events.
Do lithium batteries contaminate the air and soil?
No. Electric vehicles have zero tailpipe emissions, and lithium batteries are recyclable. Most of the elements that comprise batteries can be recovered for lithium-ion battery recycling, including lithium. By recycling lithium, cobalt, nickel, and other battery components, mineral processing helps further reduce the environmental impact of electric vehicles by reducing landfill waste and keeping these critical minerals in use for future needs.
Will local firefighting resources be able to service Tennessee Lithium?
Like many other manufacturing operations, we are developing Tennessee Lithium in close coordination with city and emergency services to develop appropriate plans. Although lithium hydroxide is not a fire hazard, we will ensure that appropriate emergency response resources are in place to support our operation in the event of an emergency.
Throughout the engineering and design of Tennessee Lithium, we will continue engaging with local first responders to determine the capabilities that may be required to respond to an emergency at our site. If it is determined that local resources are not equipped to provide the level of support Tennessee Lithium may need, we plan to employ and train additional resources to ensure proper safety protocols are in place.
How will Tennessee Lithium protect streams and local waterways?
Responsible water management is a key part of our plans to develop Tennessee Lithium as one of the world’s most sustainable projects of its kind. Our project is being designed to have processed water sent to Etowah Utilities, with no direct contact with streams and rivers. Like other industrial and manufacturing operations, our use and processing of water is regulated, and we intend to fully comply with our permits and be environmentally responsible in our operations.
Will there be a lot of traffic at Tennessee Lithium?
As part of our commitment to being a responsible corporate citizen, our Tennessee Lithium project is being designed to minimize traffic for nearby residents. To help lessen traffic related to our operation, we intend to reduce the use of heavy haul trucks and maximize delivery of materials by rail through a connection to CSX.
How long do you plan to operate Tennessee Lithium?
Our lithium hydroxide conversion facility has been designed for a 30-year lifespan, a typical design life for an industrial plant of this type.
Will you be one of the first companies to use the Metso:Outotec pressure leach process?
No. Metso’s pressure leaching technology is currently used in other processes, including gold. There are other operations currently in construction with plans to use Metso’s process for lithium hydroxide conversion, and there should be several to implement it before our planned Tennessee Lithium operation, including in the United States.
Will Tennessee Lithium operate every day of the year?
Like many manufacturing operations, Tennessee Lithium will operate 24 hours, seven days a week. However, it will have annual shut down periods to accommodate for preventive maintenance.
How much experience does Piedmont Lithium have in mineral processing?
Our senior leadership team has nearly 200 years of experience in mineral exploration, mining, and mining construction and more than 65 years in the lithium industry. Our team also includes former employees of both FMC (now Arcadium Lithium) and Albemarle Corporation, who are specifically experienced in the hard rock production of lithium hydroxide. Our partners also are well versed in pressure leach technology, with operational experience from Nevada Gold Mines at our engineering consulting firm, Primero, and a broad depth of knowledge in design development from our technology partner at Metso.
What types of jobs will be offered at Tennessee Lithium?
Our Tennessee Lithium project is expected to employ approximately 120 people as full-time employees to support project operations. These positions include:
- Administrative Assistance
- Chemical Plant Operators and Technicians
- Construction Safety Manager
- Electrical Technicians
- Human Resources Manager
- Logistics
- Maintenance Reliability Manager
- Maintenance Utilities Supervisor
- Plant Manager
- Production Manager
- Quality Manager
- Safety, Environment, and Health Technician
- Warehouse and Machine Operators
Is there going to be any local training offered for any of these positions?
We are committed to hiring locally wherever possible and are partnering with the McMinn County Economic Development Authority, the Southeast Tennessee Development District, Tennessee College of Applied Technology – Athens, and the Advanced Technologies Institute of Cleveland State Community College to develop local technical training programs. Plans are already underway to establish curricula with the goal of graduating participants before operations begin at Tennessee Lithium.
How can I get a job at Tennessee Lithium?
We plan to begin filling a range of skilled and technical positions as we near construction. To learn more about career opportunities at Piedmont Lithium, contact us at careers@piedmontlithium.com.
What is the Power for Life Foundation?
We created the Piedmont Lithium Foundation – Power for Life, Inc. to help us make a difference in McMinn County – and wherever we plan to operate. The nonprofit is focused on supporting local educational and charitable initiatives.
As a science-based organization, we are committed to supporting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Both scholarships and grants are awarded year-round to help further these learnings in our community. Grant funding also is available for organizations to help promote the betterment of our community, including important non-profit, civic, and need-based initiatives.