The BMIC was designed to support Albemarle's lithium hydroxide, lithium carbonate and advanced energy storage materials growth platforms.

"The completion of the Battery Materials Innovation Centre provides us with realistic and relevant cell building capabilities to generate meaningful data for next-gen battery material design," lithium chief technology officer Dr Glen Merfeld said.

"With this new resource, we will be equipped to optimise our lithium materials for a drop-in solution for customers that help them deliver high-performing cost-effective batteries for the rapidly growing electric vehicle market."

The company had tipped growing lithium demand earlier this year in line with a greater EV uptake and closed a US$1.5 billion placement to accelerate profitable growth. 

"Currently, Albemarle is the only US-based producer of lithium metal anodes; these and other novel materials developed in the company's labs will enable the next frontier of lithium-ion battery performance," it said.

"Moving from conventional graphite battery anodes to lithium metal offers the potential to double energy density and reduce cost by as much as 50%.

"Innovations that leapfrog current technologies and encourage step changes in disruptive cathode and next-generation anode manufacturing will make the future of high-capacity lithium-ion batteries possible."

Albemarle shares closed up 0.56% in New York yesterday to $168.46, at the upper end of a one-year range, valuing it about $20 billion.