Covalent Lithium has entered into a long-term lease for a 40-hectare site in the Kwinana Strategic Industrial Area (SIA) where it will construct a lithium refinery.
The Covalent Lithium refinery, a joint venture between the subsidiaries of Wesfarmers and Chilean company SQM, forms a part of the integrated Mount Holland Lithium project.
The project, which is expected to create 1,000 construction and 350 operational jobs, involves the construction and operation of a spodumene mine and concentrator near Mount Holland in Western Australia.
Once complete, the Kwinana refinery will have the capacity to support the production of batteries for up to one million electric vehicles each year.
Located in Western Australia’s premier industrial corridor, 15 kilometres south of Fremantle Port, the Kwinana SIA is a centre for chemical and resource-based processing industries.
State Development, Jobs and Trade Minister, Roger Cook, said it plays a vital role in supporting Western Australia’s economy as it is a key part of the state’s premier heavy industrial corridor.
“The Kwinana SIA is already home to major chemical, energy and resource-based processing operations,” Minister Cook said.
“The investment by Covalent Lithium reinforces the importance of the Government’s commitment to establishing a globally advanced manufacturing hub for the industrial corridor between Henderson and Rockingham.”
Mines and Petroleum Minister, Bill Johnston, said Kwinana is already a thriving hub of activity, with the precinct home to Alcoa, CSBP, Wesfarmers LPG, Tianqi Lithium Australia and Avertas Kwinana Waste to Energy plant.
“The [recent Covalent Lithium] announcement delivers on the McGowan Government’s vision to grow its share of the battery materials supply chain, create jobs and diversify our economy, which falls under our Future Battery Industry Strategy,” he said.
The Covalent Lithium refinery is now one of three lithium refineries under construction in Western Australia that will pave the way for further value-adding activities, including pre-cursor cathode manufacturing, a key priority in the State Government’s Future Battery Industry Strategy.
