Lithium mine may be operational near Charlotte by 2026

As demand for lithium surges to fuel the clean energy transition, companies are looking to take advantage of domestic deposits.

"All of those batteries use lithium today, and because it's the dominant battery chemistry, it's driving up demand," said Jennifer Dunn, a chemical engineering professor at Northwestern University who leads a global center on sustainable mineral supply chains.

Charlotte-based Albemarle Corporation, the country’s largest lithium producer that owns mines around the world, is now exploring re-opening a mine in Kings Mountain.

The mine was part of the Manhattan Project, providing the Lithium-6 for the first hydrogen bomb, but was closed in 1988 after the discovery of foreign deposits that were cheaper to extract.

The International Energy Agency says the demand for lithium could grow 40 times by 2040, with the increasing popularity of green technologies such as electric vehicles, making the Kings Mountain mine economically viable again.

Cindy Estridge, a community relations specialist for Albemarle, has walked about 400 people through the proposed lithium mine site since the company announced it would explore reopening it last year.

"We get out community members down here just for them to be able to see it because you know we’re right here in the neighborhood," Estridge said.

The lithium is stored in hard rock, meaning it will take blasting, hauling, and processing at high temperatures to extract the lithium.

In the decades since it closed, the pit of the former mine has collected 1.8 billion gallons of rainwater and become a popular area for recreation, with a hiking trail that goes around the water.

That trail would shut down for mining operations.

"It's important to remember to balance that really important objective of combating climate change with protecting ecosystems and public health in mining communities," Dunn said.

Albemarle still needs a state mining permit but hopes to reopen the mine by late 2026.

"When you start digging in, you realize how valuable this resource is, and this puts Kings Mountain in a position to play a significant role in the lithium supply chain in the United States," said Estridge.

The mine could produce enough raw minerals to yield 50,000 metric tons of processed lithium annually — enough to supply batteries for 1.2 million electric vehicles for a year.

Albemarle is currently working on feasibility assessments to determine if reopening the mine would be a worthwhile venture… including ongoing conversations with community members ahead of applying for permits later this year.