Albemarle

Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB) is a global specialty chemicals company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. Founded in 1887, Albemarle has grown to become a leader in the production of lithium, bromine, and refining catalysts. The company was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in February 1994.

Albemarle operates through three main business segments:

• Energy Storage: Focuses on lithium-based energy storage solutions for electric vehicles, consumer electronics, and grid storage. Products include lithium carbonate, lithium hydroxide, and lithium salts.

• Specialties: Produces bromine-based solutions for fire safety, oilfield services, and other industrial applications. Key products include flame retardants, drilling fluids, and fine chemistry services.

• Ketjen: Provides catalysts and related technologies for petroleum refining, petrochemical production, and other industrial processes. Major products include fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) catalysts and hydroprocessing catalysts.

In recent years, Albemarle has made significant investments to expand its lithium production capacity globally. In December 2023, the company completed mechanical construction of its Meishan lithium conversion plant in China. Albemarle is also advancing projects like the Kemerton lithium hydroxide plant in Western Australia and seeking to restart lithium mining operations at its Kings Mountain site in North Carolina. The company aims to increase its lithium conversion capacity to over 200,000 metric tons per year by 2025 to meet growing demand from electric vehicle and battery manufacturers.