Greenbushes Lithium Mine (2024)

Greenbushes Lithium Mine (1)

Talison Lithium has engaged MSP Engineering (MSPE) to conduct feasibility study (FS) for the production capacity expansion at Greenbushes. Image courtesy of MSP Engineering.

Greenbushes Lithium Mine (2)

Lithium concentrate produced from the expansion project is also proposed to be supplied to the under-construction Tianqi lithium processing plant in Kwinana. Image courtesy of MSP Engineering.

Greenbushes Lithium Mine (3)

MSPE is also constructing a new lithium chemical-grade plant (CGP2) at Talison Lithium Australia’s Greenbushes mine. Image courtesy of MSP Engineering.

The Greenbushes mine in Western Australia is the biggest operating lithium mine in the world. It is located approximately 250km south of Perth within the Shire of Bridgetown-Greenbushes, Western Australia.

Talison Lithium Australia, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Windfield Holdings, is the project developer. Tianqi Lithium Industries, a company based in China, holds 51% stake in Windfield Holdings, while US-based company Albemarle Corp holds the remaining 49%.

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Greenbushes is currently undergoing an expansion, which is aimed at increasing the mine area and upgrading the existing ore facilities. The expansion is expected to increase the production of spodumene ore and lithium mineral concentrate from the Greenbushes deposit and meet the increasing global demand for lithium products.

Construction on the expansion project is anticipated to start in late-2018 and will be completed in 2020. It is expected to create approximately 300 jobs, in addition to increasing the operational jobs from the current 220 to approximately 650.

The lithium carbonate-equivalent (LCE) production at Greenbushes is expected to increase to more than 160,000 metric tonnes per annum (Mtpa) from the current 80,000Mtpa, following the expansion. The current production rate of spodumene ore will be increased from 4.7Mtpa to 9.5Mtpa, which will enable the production of up to 2.3Mtpa of lithium mineral concentrate.

Greenbushes lithium mine expansion

The current expansion is referred to as stage three and stage four expansions of the Greenbushes lithium mine. Conventional open-cut method of mining will be applied in the expanded areas.

The existing pits C1, C2, and C3 will be combined and expanded as a single open-pit by approximately 2.8km length, 1km width, and up to 450m depth. The mining rate will be increased to approximately 16 million bank cubic meters (Mbcm) for reaching the target of 9.5Mtpa of spodumene ore.

As part of upgrading the existing facilities, Talison proposes to construct two new chemical-grade processing plants, a crusher, and centralized ROM, while expanding the existing Floyds Waste Rock Landform (WRL).

The new chemical-grade processing plants (CGP3 and CGP4) will have a design capacity of up to 2.4Mtpa each. The plants are expected to have combined production capacity of up to 1.0Mtpa lithium mineral concentrate at a grade of approximately 6% Li2O.

The Talison CGP2 ROM will be expanded to facilitate the additional ore produced by CGP3 and CGP4. A three-stage crusher (Talison Crusher 3) will be established to the east of Maranup Ford Road and will be connected to the processing plants through a conveyor.

Lithium mineral concentrates produced under the expansion project will be transported either to the Port of Bunbury or Fremantle for export. Lithium concentrate is also proposed to be supplied to either the under-construction Tianqi lithium processing plant in Kwinana or to Albemarle’s proposed lithium processing plant in Kemerton.

Greenbushes lithium mine geology and mineralization

The Greenbushes mining area comprises pegmatites of the lithium-caesium-tantalum family, thrusting along a major north-west regional fault zone.

Believed to be formed approximately 2.5 billion years ago, the Greenbushes deposit hosts pegmatite in a 3km-long and up to 300m-wide main zone. A number of small pegmatite dykes and pods are situated along the main body of the pegmatite.

The ore body is located within the Balingup Metamorphic Belt (BMB), the southern segment of the Western Gneiss Province. The deposit penetrates into the BMB and is hosted within a north to north-west trending lineament called the Donnybrook-Bridgetown Shear Zone.

The main mineralization zone features several smaller pegmatite dykes and pods along the main body.

Greenbushes lithium mine reserves

As of December 2012, Greenbushes lithium mine’s proven and probable mineral reserves are estimated to be 61.5Mt grading 2.8% lithium. The mine is estimated to contain approximately 4.3Mt of lithium carbonate-equivalent (LCE).

Mining and processing at the Greenbushes lithium mine

Conventional open-pit mining method involving drilling and blasting followed by load and haul is being used at the Greenbushes lithium mine.

Talison is currently processing spodumene ore in two separate processing plants – technical and chemical-grade, to produce a lithium mineral concentrate of approximately 6% lithium oxide (Li2O). The processing plants employ gravity methods to produce lithium mineral concentrate.

Talison constructed a chemical-grade plant 1 (CGP1) with a SC6.0 production capacity of 550,000tpa in 2012. A second plant CGP2 is being constructed to further increase the production capacity by approximately 500,000tpa, from 1.34Mtpa to approximately 180,000tpa of LCE.

The produced lithium concentrate is bagged and shipped from the port of Bunbury.

Infrastructure facilities proposed for the expansion

The expansion project calls for the construction of a bypass road to minimize truck movements through the town of Greenbushes. The works also include construction of additional linear infrastructure such as roads, power supply, and pipelines.

A new mine service area (MSA) will be established in approximately 32ha, while Floyd’s WRL will be expanded as part of the expansion project.

The new tailings storage facility (TSF4) will be located to the south of the existing TSFs and will have a footprint of approximately 240ha.

Contractors involved

GHD prepared the environmental referral supporting report for the Greenbushes lithium mine expansion project, while WML Consultants was engaged to identify a mine access route for trucks bypassing the Greenbushes townsite.

MSP Engineering was awarded the contract for preparing the feasibility study (FS) report for the Greenbushes expansion project.

Talison has engaged MSP Engineering as the head contractor for its CGP2 project in June 2016.

Kerman Contracting was awarded a $23.5m contract to construct a new bulk storage facility at Port of Bunbury for facilitating the Greenbushes mine expansion. Kerman was also engaged for constructing a new crushing and screening circuit for MSP Engineering at the Greenbushes mine expansion project.

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Greenbushes Lithium Mine (2024)

FAQs

Who owns the Greenbushes lithium mine? ›

Greenbushes is 100% owned by Talison Lithium Australia Pty Ltd. Talison Lithium Australia is 51% owned by Tianqi Lithium Energy Australia Pty Ltd (TLEA) which is the holding company for the Tianqi Lithium (51%) and IGO (49%) JV.

How big is Greenbushes lithium mine? ›

The Greenbushes pegmatite deposit intrudes along a major northwest regional fault zone. It is approximately 2,525 million years old. The pegmatite consists of a large main zone over 3 kms long and up to 300m wide with numerous smaller pegmatite dykes and pods flanking the main body.

Where is Greenbushes mine camp? ›

Greenbushes is Sited in a State Forest

The Greenbushes Mine is adjacent to the town of Greenbushes and 250 kilometres from Perth. It is located in a State Forest that adjoins agricultural land used for cattle and sheep grazing, vineyards and tree plantations.

Who owns Albemarle Greenbushes? ›

Greenbushes, Australia

Through our Talison JV, Albemarle holds a 49% interest in Greenbushes. The hard rock lithium mine is located near the Greenbushes townsite in the Shire of Bridgetown-Greenbushes, approximately 240km south of Perth, Western Australia.

What is the only lithium mine in the United States? ›

Where are there lithium mines in the U.S.? Although lithium can be found all over the United States, there is only one operating mine in the country: the Albemarle Silver Peak Mine in Nevada.

Where is the largest lithium mine in the world? ›

Greenbushes mine is an open-pit lithium mining operation located south of the town of Greenbushes, Western Australia. It is the world's largest hard-rock lithium mine, producing approximately 1.95 million tonnes (4.3 billion pounds) of lithium spodumene annually.

What lithium mine did Tesla buy? ›

Under the purchase agreement dated June 19, Yahua — through its subsidiary Yahua Lithium Ya'an — will supply an unspecified amount of lithium carbonate to Tesla between 2025 and 2027. There is also an option to extend by another year.

Who owns most of the world's lithium? ›

Top six countries with the largest lithium reserves in the world
  1. Bolivia – 21 million tonnes. ...
  2. Argentina – 17 million tonnes. ...
  3. Chile – 9 million tonnes. ...
  4. United States – 6.8 million tonnes. ...
  5. Australia – 6.3 million tonnes. ...
  6. China – 4.5 million tonnes.
Nov 19, 2020

What is the revenue of Greenbushes? ›

Greenbushes, the country's largest and most lucrative lithium mine, recorded a profit of almost $6.3 billion in the 12 months to December 31, a significant increase from one year earlier even as the broader green metals sector struggles financially.

What resources does Greenbushes mine? ›

The Greenbushes tin and tantalum mineralisation is associated with the albite zone, which is characterised by sodium rich albite feldspar, along with tourmaline, quartz, spodumene, cassiterite, tantalum minerals and minor microcline.

What is mined at koolyanobbing? ›

At the turn of the century, it was the thirst for gold that led prospectors to the Koolyanobbing Area. Today it's Iron Ore Mining that continues.

Who owns Mt Marion lithium mine? ›

Mt Marion is located approximately 40km southwest of Kalgoorlie in the Goldfields region of Western Australia. The operation is jointly owned by MinRes (50%) and one of the world's largest lithium hydroxide producers, Jiangxi Ganfeng Lithium Co. Ltd. (50%).

How deep is Greenbushes Lithium Mine? ›

The existing pits C1, C2, and C3 will be combined and expanded as a single open-pit by approximately 2.8km length, 1km width, and up to 450m depth.

Does Albemarle supply Tesla? ›

Albemarle, which supplies Tesla (TSLA. O) , opens new tab and other automakers, sells most of its lithium on long-term contracts linked to market pricing.

Where does Albemarle get their lithium? ›

Albemarle's lithium resources are among the largest and highest quality in the world, comprising hard rock deposits in Western Australia and North America and hypersaline (brine) in South America and North America.

How much of Greenbushes does Igo own? ›

IGO is also invested in a lithium focused joint venture with our partner, Tianqi Lithium Corporation, which comprises a 51% stake in the Greenbushes Lithium Mine and 100% interest in a downstream processing refinery at Kwinana producing battery grade lithium hydroxide.

Who owns lithium mines in us? ›

The project site would cover 18,000 acres (7,300 ha), with less than 6,000 acres (2,400 ha) of that being mined, on a site 21 miles (34 km) west-northwest of Orovada, Nevada within the McDermitt Caldera. The mine is a project of Lithium Nevada, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lithium Americas Corp.

What percentage of lithium mines does China own? ›

It is foolish to think we could ever remove our dependence on China.” China has 8% of the global lithium reserves and 72% of the world's refining capacity as of 2022.

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