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(Kitco News) - On Monday, lithium producer Livent (NYSE: LTHM) announced that as of 4:30 PM ET, the fire at the Livent Bessemer City manufacturing facility, which broke in the early morning, has subsided and that there have been no injuries to Livent personnel or emergency responders.
The company said that the fire was principally contained to the warehouse portion of a steel and concrete building in which solid lithium metal ingots are produced, adding that this storage area was structurally damaged.
However, Livent added that the fire has not spread to other parts of Livent's 800-acre Bessemer City facility, including areas where the company manufactures high purity lithium metal, lithium hydroxide, butyllithium and other lithium products.
Importantly, according to a company news release, essential Livent personnel have now returned to the plant to assess the damage and ensure ongoing safety during the clean-up and remediation process.
“We are grateful for the tremendous support of the emergency response teams from Bessemer City, Gaston County and North Carolina. We are working hard to mitigate any potential impacts and return to normal operations as soon as possible,” the company said.
Livent is a leading vertically integrated pure-play producer of low-cost lithium, selling to leading electric vehicle OEMs and battery manufacturers worldwide. The company operates 7 manufacturing and sourcing sites across 4 continents.
The company’s primary products, namely battery-grade lithium hydroxide, lithium carbonate, butyllithium and high purity lithium metal are critical inputs used in various performance applications.
