Piedmont Lithium to open new facility in Etowah

Piedmont Lithium officials announced the company will invest $582 million to establish a lithium hydroxide processing, refining and manufacturing facility in Etowah, creating 117 new jobs. Piedmont’s new facility will be located at the North Etowah Industrial Park, a CSX and Select Tennessee Certified Site. As a producer of lithium hydroxide, a critical component in the supply chain for both the electric vehicle and battery storage markets, Piedmont’s Tennessee Lithium project will support energy security in the U.S. and the transition to a clean energy economy in North America. The new manufacturing plant will utilize more environmentally responsible and economic processing technology, supporting Piedmont’s objective of becoming a large, low-cost, sustainable producer of lithium products. Founded and headquartered in Belmont, N.C., Piedmont is a battery-grade lithium hydroxide producer whose U.S. investments also include the Carolina Lithium project, a proposed integrated operation located in the world-class Carolina Tin-Spodumene Belt. The company’s North Carolina and Tennessee operations, along with its equity interests in international projects, will help establish North America as a key global producer of lithium hydroxide.