HELPING transport containerised lithium hydroxide is the aim of a recent decision by a Western Australian business to order a new reachstacker from Liebherr.
The LRS 545 Reachstacker has been ordered by Tianqi Lithium which operates a new lithium hydroxide plant in the Kwinana Industrial Area, south of Perth.
The device is set to go into operation in July and is part of a package that also includes two Liebherr XPower wheel loaders.
Tianqi Lithium is currently in the process of bringing its new Kwinana plant on line, which at full production is to produce 48,000 tonnes a year of lithium hydroxide.
The lithium hydroxide is a lithium compound derived from spodumene, a lithium-containing mineral that is extracted in Greenbushes, 250km southwest of Kwinana.
One of the main tasks of the new reachstacker is to prepare the lithium hydroxide, which is stored in containers, for transport all over the world.
“It’s great to get one of our new machines into Australia,” said general manager of Liebherr Australia maritime division Gordon Clark.
“We’ve been in talks with Tianqi for some time now, and it’s great that they’ve put their trust in us.”
The new machine has a front row capacity of 45 tonnes and can reach up to five containers high.
Tianqi general manager Phil Thick said they were looking forward to getting the new facility fully on line and producing.
“The reachstacker and wheel loaders are a small but important part of the overall process here, but it takes all parts to work together to get the result,” he said.
