The only active lithium resource in the United States

Silver Peak

Albemarle’s Silver Peak location is the only active lithium resource in the United States and part of our portfolio of world-class resources. We first began producing lithium from brine using solar evaporation ponds more than 50 years ago, and today, the site employs approximately 60 people and produces technical-grade lithium carbonate and special grades of lithium hydroxide.

Critical U.S. Resource

Lithium has become the battery technology of choice to power our future and a key component in certain national defense applications. However, the U.S. produces less than 2% of the world’s supply of lithium, making Silver Peak a critical U.S. resource.

Lithium is an essential element for electric vehicle batteries and material produced at Silver Peak is a primary component for life-saving equipment used by NASA and the U.S. Navy. For decades, lithium carbonate from Silver Peak has supported several industrial uses including building products (cement, tile, mortar), steel and welding.

Operations

To start the production process at Silver Peak, brine containing high concentrations of lithium is extracted from non-potable saltwater aquifers using a series of wells.

Tapping into targeted aquifers that are approximately 300 to 2,000 feet below the surface, wells continually pump the non-potable brine to evaporation ponds at the surface.

Once in the evaporation pond system, lithium salts in the brine are concentrated over a period of months using solar evaporation before being transferred to another evaporation pond in the system. This process is continued multiple times over a continuous 18 to 24-month period until the lithium concentration reaches a level high enough for conversion to lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide.

The final pond at the end of the process will have a lithium concentration 50 times higher than the concentration of the brine that is originally extracted. In the final step, the material is processed to remove impurities and then dried and milled into a fine white powder of lithium carbonate.

Safety

As part of our core value of Care, Albemarle proactively works to protect the safety of our employees, community and environment.

Silver Peak has an excellent safety record. The facility has a fully trained and equipped Emergency Response Team and partners with local law enforcement, fire and emergency services that can facilitate a rapid response to protect our employees and the surrounding community when necessary.

With approximately 60 employees at the location and the nearest medical provider several miles away, an occupational health care professional is located on-site. A medical surveillance program is also employed to monitor and track employee health to help prevent injury and educate employees.

Responsible Resource Management

The responsible management of our world’s finite brine and hard-rock resources is fundamental to the future success of our business. Silver Peak’s evaporation process, which relies almost entirely on solar power, is one of the most sustainable processes for lithium extraction from brine. The site’s use of solar energy helps avoid over 1.4 tons of greenhouse gas emissions relative to the use of natural gas.

Water Management

We are committed to responsible management of our water resources as a key part of our sustainability strategy. Our operations in Silver Peak draw from brine aquifers that are four times saltier than seawater. Because of this salinity, the brine cannot be used for human consumption or for agricultural purposes.

We carefully measure water withdrawals and continuously monitor groundwater systems, both freshwater and brine, to confirm there are no adverse impacts to the nearby water resources.

Wildlife Conservation

Every spring and fall, about 60 species of birds, largely waterfowl, migrate across western Nevada. Our evaporation ponds are attractive for the birds to rest and refuel themselves, however, many of the ponds in the system with stronger brine concentrations can pose a risk to birds.

Since 2013, we have invested approximately $4 million in an avian management program that includes monitoring, deterring, rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing birds at the location. This includes the construction of an avian rehabilitation facility with a clinic for admitting, rehabbing, and observing injured birds. Albemarle also maintains a dedicated Avian Department with eight staff members during the spring and fall migration seasons and a staff of four during non-migration seasons. The team rescues and cares for about 600 birds every year.

Community Benefits

We employ approximately 60 residents from Silver Peak and the surrounding areas, making us the largest employer in the region. These highly skilled employees are some of the highest paid employees in Nevada, earning at the top quartile when considering all occupations in the state. The site also uses several vendor and service companies from the region.