Albemarle Strengthens Sustainability Commitment with Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) Alliance

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Oct 26, 2020, 16:15 ET

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 26, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB), a leader in the global specialty chemicals industry, announced today that it has begun the path toward certification under the stringent standard of IRMA, considered as the certification standard for assurance of responsible mining that has the greatest depth, breadth and specificity.

Last month, Albemarle began IRMA's self-assessment process at the Salar Plant, located in northern Chile in the Salar de Atacama, thus constituting the first step toward obtaining the verification and certification that guarantees ecological and socially responsible mining products. Albemarle uses no fresh water in its brine extraction and concentration process in the Salar, and the company shares a percentage of its sales with the local indigenous communities through a historic agreement signed in 2016.

"Today, the demands of sustainability are not an option, they are an obligation," said Ellen Lenny-Pessagno, Albemarle Country Manager, Chile. "We undertake this commitment with great humility, and we recognize the responsibility we have with all of our stakeholders. Certifying that our processes are sustainable is fundamental to our corporate strategy. We are dedicated to sustainability in the lithium value chains, but also within the communities we operate."

"We welcome Albermarle's commitment to use the IRMA program to improve environmental and social responsibility," said Aimee Boulanger, IRMA's Executive Director. "This provides opportunity for more transparent communication between the company, workers, communities, NGOs, and others with a shared interest to protect this unique region and the rights of people who call it home."

"As one of the world's leading producers of lithium, it is critically important for us to take a leadership role in transparently showing how we sustainably produce lithium," said Eric Norris, Albemarle President, Lithium. "We hope to replicate this process in other sites, because this certification is aligned with the company's sustainable operations and business model of creating long-term value for all stakeholders by focusing on innovation, customers and product quality, financials, business ethics and regulatory compliance."

For further information about IRMA, please refer to www.responsiblemining.net.

About Albemarle
Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB), headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is a global specialty chemicals company with leading positions in lithium, bromine and refining catalysts. We think beyond business-as-usual to power the potential of companies in many of the world's largest and most critical industries, such as energy, electronics, and transportation. We actively pursue a sustainable approach to managing our diverse global footprint of world-class resources. In conjunction with our highly experienced and talented global teams, our deep-seated values, and our collaborative customer relationships, we create value-added and performance-based solutions that enable a safer and more sustainable future.

We regularly post information to www.albemarle.com, including notification of events, news, financial performance, investor presentations and webcasts, non-GAAP reconciliations, SEC filings and other information regarding our company, its businesses and the markets it serves.

SOURCE Albemarle Corporation