Albemarle
Albemarle optimizes its lithium production with AI and AVEVA PI System
Albemarle is not only producing more lithium to meet the booming demand of the electric vehicle market, which grew from 2.5 million sales in 2019 to 15.7 million in 2023—it is also generating massive volumes of data. Capacity expansion produced hundreds of thousands of data points to manage, and manual sharing and reporting processes created information bottlenecks that slowed optimization. The group built Albemarle Intelligence, its own artificial intelligence solution based on AVEVA PI System, AVEVA PI Server, AVEVA PI Vision and AVEVA PI Data Infrastructure. Teams now identify optimization opportunities much faster and with precision. The projected benefits are considerable: $150 million in expected annual improvements through cost savings, cost avoidance and revenue enhancement, along with a significant reduction in emissions and 75% fewer environmental incidents. Albemarle thus confirms its role as a strategic leader in the global energy transition value chain.
FAQ
How does AVEVA PI System support lithium production for electric mobility?
Albemarle, a key lithium supplier, faces explosive demand (electric vehicle sales rose from 2.5 million in 2019 to 15.7 million in 2023). AVEVA PI System, PI Server, PI Vision and PI Data Infrastructure form the foundation of Albemarle Intelligence, its proprietary AI solution. This infrastructure makes it possible to leverage the hundreds of thousands of data points generated by capacity expansions and quickly identify optimization opportunities, supporting the projected $150 million in annual improvements.
What is Albemarle Intelligence and how does AVEVA provide its foundation?
Albemarle Intelligence is the proprietary AI solution Albemarle built on AVEVA PI System, PI Server, PI Vision and PI Data Infrastructure. This platform turns hundreds of thousands of operational data points into actionable intelligence. The AI models use contextualized AVEVA data to predict optimal behavior, detect drifts and accelerate continuous improvement. It is a concrete example of industrializing AI in mining and metals, where well-structured data becomes the competitive advantage.
How can information bottlenecks be eliminated in complex production?
At Albemarle, manual data sharing and reporting processes created bottlenecks that slowed optimization. AVEVA PI System and PI Vision automate the collection, contextualization and visualization of operational data. Teams access relevant information in real time via PI Vision rather than waiting for periodic reports. This smoother flow of information speeds up decision-making and multiplies optimization capacity as sites ramp up.
How does AVEVA help reduce environmental incidents?
Albemarle achieved a 75% reduction in environmental incidents and a significant drop in emissions thanks to AVEVA PI System and its ecosystem. Early detection of drifts through real-time analytics and Albemarle Intelligence AI models makes it possible to intervene before any environmental impact. In lithium production, which is essential to the energy transition but environmentally sensitive, this control is crucial for the regulatory and social acceptance of operations.
What financial benefits does a data platform bring to the mining sector?
Albemarle projects $150 million in annual improvements thanks to AVEVA PI System, PI Server, PI Vision and PI Data Infrastructure. These gains combine cost savings, cost avoidance and revenue improvements by making full use of hundreds of thousands of operational data points. For a strategic lithium producer in full expansion, this value shows that data management and AI have become decisive competitive factors in the electric mobility value chain.