Caterpillar, Albermarle to collaborate on battery value chain R&D

Caterpillar 793 prototype battery-electric mining haul truck (Photo: Caterpillar)

Albermarle Corporation has signed agreements with Caterpillar covering collaboration on solutions to support a circular battery value chain across sustainable mining operations.

The deal will look to support Albermarle’s efforts to establish Kings Mountain, North Carolina, as the first zero-emissions lithium mine in North America.

The two companies have also signed an agreement which will see lithium produced in North America by Albermarle made available for use in Caterpillar battery production.

Following on from that, there will be opportunities to explore R&D related to battery cell tech development, including recycling.

“This collaboration with Caterpillar exhibits how we ‘walk the talk’ to pioneer what’s next. It’s a win-win-win scenario, in which we are both customers and suppliers of each other, and the innovation we pursue together benefits the world,” said Eric Norris, Albemarle’s Energy Storage president.

Speaking about the collaboration, Rod Shurman, senior vice president of Electrification and Energy Solutions at Caterpillar, said: “The agreements for lithium offtake and potential collaboration on R&D signed today will help to advance this work and further build out a secure, resilient and sustainable value chain for electrified equipment across the Caterpillar portfolio, while also supporting Albemarle’s journey to more sustainable operations.”

Caterpillar is developing a series of lithium-ion battery-electric machines, with the goal of helping customer achieve their zero-emissions goals.

Albermarle was recently awarded a $90 million grant from the US Department of Defense to help support expansion of domestic mining and the production of lithium for the national battery supply chain.