Albemarle’s La Negra lithium processing plant in Chile is operating normally following an “incident” last week, the company said on Tuesday, after a local lawmaker confirmed authorities had opened an investigation.
The U.S.-based miner said there were no injuries and sales of lithium, a key component for lithium-ion batteries, are not expected to be affected. Albemarle did not provide further details, and it was unclear whether operations had been temporarily halted. “We can confirm the plant is operating normally,” the company told Reuters.
Jaime Araya, a Chilean congressman representing the Antofagasta region where the plant is located, said last week he had requested an inspection after receiving a complaint that a pipe containing acid had burst. “I was informed that the labor inspector’s office had opened an investigation,” Araya told Reuters on Tuesday.
A source familiar with Albemarle’s operations said such probes were standard procedure and the problem only affected one tank. A second source also said the plant’s overall operations were unaffected. Union leader Elias Torres declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation.
The labor inspector’s office said it could not share details as the matter remained under review. Albemarle shares dipped slightly to $80.14 in midday trading in New York. On Monday, the Charlotte, North Carolina-based company announced that Chief Operating Officer Netha Johnson will leave as part of a management reshuffle, a move unrelated to the Chile incident, according to a source.