Overview
- Albemarle has shut the last operating line (Train 1) and placed the Kemerton lithium hydroxide plant into care and maintenance effective immediately.
- Local reports indicate roughly 250 to 275 jobs will be affected by the suspension of on‑site processing.
- Management says recent price gains do not offset prolonged volatility and high operating costs that have left Western hard‑rock conversion uncompetitive.
- The company expects the move to improve financial flexibility and be accretive to adjusted EBITDA beginning in the second quarter of 2026, with projected 2026 volumes unchanged.
- Australian mining interests at Greenbushes and Wodgina remain core and unaffected; the step follows 2024 actions that mothballed Train 2 and halted plans for Trains 3 and 4.