Rio Tinto has entered a definitive agreement to acquire Arcadium Lithium for $6.7 billion. The transaction, which will be implemented by way of a Jersey scheme of arrangement, is expected to close in mid-2025.
“Acquiring Arcadium Lithium is a significant step forward in Rio Tinto’s long-term strategy, creating a world-class lithium business alongside our leading aluminum and copper operations to supply materials needed for the energy transition,” said Rio Tinto Chief Executive Officer Jakob Stausholm.
“Arcadium Lithium is an outstanding business today and we will bring our scale, development capabilities and financial strength to realize the full potential of its Tier 1 portfolio. This is a counter-cyclical expansion aligned with our disciplined capital allocation framework, increasing our exposure to a high-growth, attractive market at the right point in the cycle.”
Arcadium’s current annual lithium production capacity across a range of products including lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate is 75,000 tonnes lithium carbonate equivalent, with expansion plans in place to more than double capacity by the end of 2028. The company has facilities and projects in Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Source: Rio Tinto