The Greenbushes Lithium Operation in Western Australia has seen an increase in global demand with record production numbers, creating significant local job opportunities.
In the September 2022 quarter, Greenbushes achieved record production of 361,227 tonnes of spodumene concentrate, an increase of seven per cent from the June 2022 quarter.
This has resulted in an uplift of 190 new jobs in the past year, bringing the local operations workforce to over 900.
The Greenbushes deposit is recognised as containing the highest grade, and is one of the largest hard rock deposits of spodumene in the world, accounting for approximately 22 per cent of the global lithium market.
Spodumene concentrate, from which lithium is derived, is used globally to manufacture various products, including lithium-ion batteries used to power green energy technologies such as electric vehicles (EVs).
Western Australia is the largest lithium supplier in the world, accounting for 52 per cent of global supply in 2021, and accounted for 100 per cent of Australia’s lithium production in 2021.
Greenbushes alone contributed 50 per cent of the 267,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalents mined in Australia in 2021.
Western Australia’s premier Mark McGowan said Greenbushes reinforces the state’s strength and ability to supply the world with the battery and critical minerals it needs to transition to net zero.
“Demand for green energy technologies like EVs is driving exploration and investment in WA – which has been a key focus for my Government and is why I advocated for Albemarle to establish operations in WA,” he said.
“My Government is committed to making sure this increase in activity delivers benefits for communities in our regions, including jobs for the future.”
Minister for state development, jobs, and trade minister Roger Cook said, “As the world continues to decarbonise, the demand for battery and critical minerals will only grow. Through operations like Greenbushes, WA is in prime position to meet this demand.
“WA is the powerhouse of the nation’s battery and critical minerals sector. The State accounts for half of global lithium production and is a major exporter of nickel, cobalt, manganese, and rare earths.”
The Greenbushes Lithium Operation provides employment for local communities such as Bridgetown-Greenbushes, Donnybrook, Nannup, Boyup Brook, Manjimup, Balingup, Mullalyup, and Kirup, which helps support regional towns in the Warren-Blackwood region, and continues to employ in line with its growing production demands.
Construction is underway, and further plans are in place, subject to State approvals, to expand the existing mine, increasing its production capacity by approximately a further 50 per cent, and maintain a production life of more than 20 years, and is estimated to support an additional 680 permanent jobs over the next five years, in addition to the 450-550 construction jobs which will be created.
Western Australia has begun producing lithium hydroxide and is expected to start exporting it later in 2022, with the newly built Kwinana and Kemerton processing plants each having capacity to produce around 25,000 and 50,000 tonnes respectively of lithium hydroxide a year, supplied by lithium concentrate from the Greenbushes mine.
Additional trains are also being built at these plants which will double their production capacities, and the expansion of the Greenbushes mine will provide the feedstock needed to grow these two separate facilities.