Name of the Project
Kwinana lithium hydroxide refinery.
Location
Kwinana Industrial Area, Western Australia.
Project Owner/s
Tianqi Lithium Energy Australia (TLEA) joint venture, in which Independence Group (IGO) has a 49% interest.
Project Description
Kwinana is Australia’s first fully automated lithium hydroxide processing plant.
The refinery is designed to process the spodumene concentrate of TLEA’s Greenbushes project into battery-grade lithium hydroxide for global markets.
The refinery comprises two individual production trains that will target the production of up to 48 000 t of lithium hydroxide in aggregate (up to 24 000 t per train) once fully ramped up.
Potential Job Creation
More than 900 jobs were created during the construction phase of the plant, which is now being operated by about 200 people.
Capital Expenditure
$700-million.
Planned Start/End Date
First battery-grade lithium hydroxide was produced in May 2022. The first train declared commercial production at the end of November 2022 and will continue to ramp up production in 2023.
Train 2 commissioning is expected to start in early 2025.
Latest Developments
Train 1 is in the ramp-up phase. Construction of Train 2 is partially complete.
Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated.
Contact Details for Project Information
IGO, tel +61 8 9238 8300 or email contact@igo.com.au.