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London-based Alkemy Capital Investments looks to Pilbara to develop sulphate plant

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Adrian LoweThe West Australian
Work for lithium projects in the Port Hedland area is highly competitive.
Camera IconWork for lithium projects in the Port Hedland area is highly competitive. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

A London-based firm eyeing expansion in sustainable lithium hydroxide plans to build a sulphate plant in WA’s Pilbara region.

Alkemy Capital Investments is set to announce to the London Stock Exchange on Monday that it will establish the plant near Port Hedland to feed a UK lithium hydroxide plant in England’s north.

Key details — such as the exact site location, the capacity of the port and the project’s cost — are as yet unknown.

Lithium is a key battery mineral in hot demand as the world eyes a lower carbon emissions future.

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Tech leaders such as Tesla boss Elon Musk has described lithium refineries as “a license to print money” given the urgency with which firms need it.

Lithium mining bosses at last week’s Diggers and Dealers Mining Forum in Kalgoorlie called for a spot price index for the battery metal to boost trust, investor confidence and transparency.

Alkemy says it is prioritising the Port Hedland site because of its location to existing and planned spodumene producers, to existing infrastructure and to the nation’s largest container port, as well as the ability to source renewable energy and storage from other developments planned in the area.

The company said discussions had started with the WA government about an appropriate site location.

“Building the Port Hedland LSM plant will provide Australian spodumene producers with a complete mid-stream refining solution with direct access to the European market,” Alkemy director Sam Quinn said.

“It will also bring major downstream processing and value-adding to the Pilbara ... (while) reducing the carbon footprint of the end to end lithium battery cell supply chain to meet new European emissions standards.”

The company says there is not yet capacity for production of lithium hydroxide in Europe or the UK, but the more than 700 gigawatts of lithium battery gigafactories will require more than 325,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide each year from 2030.

Alkemy eventually wants to develop and operate the world’s leading independent and sustainable lithium hydroxide production facility, and has secured a near-10 hectare site in Teesside, about 410km north of London.

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