Lithium leader reveals new Mega-Flex processing plant in SC to support over 2M EVs annually
One of the largest lithium producers globally, Albermarle Corp, announced plans Wednesday to make Chester County, South Carolina home to its new $1.3 billion Mega-Flex lithium processing facility. The plant, once open, is expected to support the production of roughly 2.4 million EVs each year.
Albermarle announces $1.3B Mega Flex lithium plant in SC
With over $7.3 billion in net sales last year, up 120% from 2021, Albemarle expanded its position as a leader in the lithium market, with demand for electric vehicles climbing at a record pace.
Albermarle expects the rapid growth to continue as the auto industry shift to fully electric, zero-emission vehicles to accelerate over the next several years. As a result, the company sees lithium demand growing by nearly 400% by 2030.
To take advantage of the movement, Albermarle is leveraging its leading position to support over 100 new projects needed to sustain the growing demand.
The company develops and manufactures low-cost lithium compounds such as lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide used in electric vehicle batteries.
With the US looking to achieve a 50% EV share by 2030, up from around 6% this past year, Albermarle said it was planning for a massive lithium processing center in the US that would be capable of processing 100,000 tonnes of annual capacity in the Southeast.
Looking for somewhere with rail access and a major port, Albermarle has selected Chester County, SC, with an initial investment of at least $1.3 billion.
The “Mega-Flex” refers to the facility’s ability to process different types of lithium feedstock, including from recycled batteries.
Albermarle expects the new SC plant to initially produce 50,000 metric tons of battery-grade lithium hydroxide annually, potentially expanding up to 100,000 metric tons – enough for around 2.4 million EVs annually.
In October, the lithium leader revealed it had been awarded nearly $150 million as part of the first set of projects funded under the Bipartisan Infrastructure law to expand domestic EV battery production.
In addition, Albermarle says the facility supports the Inflation Reduction Act, passed last August, to incentivize the production of critical EV battery materials in North America.
Albermarle CEO said at the release:
This facility will help increase the production of U.S.-based lithium resources to fuel the clean energy revolution while bringing us closer to our customers as the supply chain is built out in North America.
The nearly 800-acre site is expected to create over 300 new jobs and 1,500 construction jobs pending permit approvals. Construction is slated to begin late next year.
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Hyundai is about to launch a new electric SUV in China. With its big debut coming up, Hyundai just dropped a sneak peek, and it looks like it could be the IONIQ 4. Check it out for yourself in the video below.
Is Hyundai teasing the IONIQ 4?
We caught our first glimpse of the new EV model last month after Beijing Hyundai released a few official “spy” photos.
Despite the camouflage, you can see a few design elements, like a light bar across the front, slim LED headlights, and a closed-off grille. At first, it almost looks like a smaller version of the IONIQ 9, Hyundai’s first three-row electric SUV, but with a much sportier, shaped profile.
Beijing Hyundai released a new teaser for the upcoming electric SUV this week. The video shows “a wave of high-end operations” as the vehicle dances across the snow.
The video highlights features like real-time torque control, high-speed cornering, and the SUV’s impressive body control while driving around cones.
Hyundai’s new electric SUV is being called “OE” internally, according to The Korean Car Blog, suggesting it could be an IONIQ model.
All other Hyundai IONIQ EV models were also codenamed with an “E” internally, which is raising speculation that this could be the IONIQ 4.
Like most global OEMs, Hyundai is fighting to compete in an intense Chinese EV market, which is dominated by domestic automakers like BYD.
Hyundai opened its first overseas R&D center last year in China to spearhead its comeback. It will work with local suppliers and tech companies to develop EVs designed for Chinese buyers. The new electric SUV is expected to launch in China later this year, followed by three new energy vehicles, including EVs and EREVs.
Beijing Hyundai will release more information on April 16, with the electric SUV set to “challenge the limit of driving performance.”
What do you think of Hyundai’s new electric SUV? Is this the IONIQ 4? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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Charge point provider char.gy has secured a £130 million contract to install 6,000 curbside EV chargers for Brighton and Hove City Council (BHCC) – the UK’s largest installation of its kind.
London-based char.gy has also been awarded a 15-year contract to operate and maintain the charging network.
Installing Level 2 chargers curbside, where most drivers in the UK park, will enable more people to take advantage of cheaper charging rates while juicing up their EVs overnight. (charg.gy’s pay as you go night tariff, between midnight and 7 am, is £0.39/kWh, compared to its £0.59/kWh day tariff.)
John Lewis, chief executive of char.gy, said the project is “a huge moment for the UK and its EV ambitions. This partnership alone will empower thousands of residents to confidently make the switch to electric vehicles, knowing they have easy access to chargers.”
Brighton and Hove City Council is among the first to tap into the government’s Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund, designed to help English local authorities roll out charging solutions for residents without off-street parking. Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood said making EV charging as accessible as possible is “crucial to making the switch to electric a success.”
The UK now has over 75,000 public EV chargers, according to the Department for Transport—and it looks like the country’s on pace to hit its 2030 target. Back in December, the National Audit Office said the rollout is “on track” to meet the DfT’s estimate that at least 300,000 chargers will be needed by the end of the decade.
Read more: Meet the UK’s largest solar + storage EV charging ‘Superhub’
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