Lithium plant powers ahead

The proposed $1 billion lithium plant at Kemerton has cleared the final hurdle after the Joint Development Assessment Panel approved the project yesterday.

The decision to approve Albemarle’s massive processing plant was unanimous among the five voting members on the panel, which includes Harvey shire president Tania Jackson.

Cr Jackson said the final tick of approval was a milestone achievement for Albemarle and the region.

“There is a lot of support for this project, it just needed to meet the environmental and planning requirements to ensure it is done in the best possible way,” Cr Jackson said.

“The environmental approval should give some level of comfort to community members concerned about the environmental impact of the project.”

The proposed plant received environmental approval last week and was considered the major hurdle in getting the project off the ground.

Albemarle will need 500 workers when it builds the plant in the Kemerton Industrial Park and will create a further 500 jobs when it is up and running.