Kerman Contracting says it has been awarded a contract by Albemarle Lithium on the greenfield lithium hydroxide production plant in Kemerton, Western Australia.

The scope of this project comprises two separable portions – one includes the design and construction of the pyromet buildings, such as the spodumene storage building, the acidified ore handling building and the tailings building. The other separable portion includes the sodium sulphate packaging and storage warehouse, sodium sulphate pallet storage building, lithium hydroxide packaging and storage warehouse and lithium hydroxide pallet storage building as well as the boiler and air compressor buildings.

Recently Kerman has completed projects at Talison Lithium’s chemical grade plant in Greenbushes and the Tianqi lithium hydroxide processing plant in Kwinana, both in Western Australia

“We are excited about being part of yet another project in the lithium market,” said Kerman’s Managing Director Chris Kerman.

Back in August, engineering company Monadelphous Group was awarded a major construction contract at the project, which will initially consist of three production trains, each producing 20,000 t/y of lithium hydroxide, with a potential expansion to five trains that will see production increase to 100,000 t/y by around 2025. Production is expected to start production in 2021.