Up to 300 jobs are set to be affected as US lithium giant Albemarle continues to scale back its refinery plant in Western Australia.

Albemarle today announced immediate changes at its lithium hydroxide manufacturing site in Kemerton, about 150km south of Perth, in a bid to reduce costs and operations.

It comes as the company posted a $US188 million ($288 million) net loss in its second quarterly results.

“Building on the progress already underway, we are announcing a comprehensive review of our cost and operating structure, beginning with immediate footprint actions at our Kemerton site in Australia,” chief executive and chairman Kent Masters said.

“The review and steps underway will maintain Albemarle’s competitive position and ensure we execute with agility today and in the future.”

Under its cost-reducing actions, construction will be halted at the site’s third production train and production will be idle at its second train which will be placed into care and maintenance.

About 300 jobs will be lost in the process.

Albemarle confirmed those impacted will receive redundancy packages, ongoing job placement and other support options.

“As a result, Albemarle expects to recognise a charge in the range of $0.9-$1.1 billion as an exceptional item in the company’s third-quarter 2024 results,” the company wrote in its report.

It is the company’s latest round of cuts this year, putting its plans for expansion on hold.

In January, Albemarle stopped construction on a fourth train at the plant and made about 200 workers redundant.

Secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union WA, Steve McCartney, claimed the company failed to consult its workers before making the redundancy decisions.

“Albemarle turned up in the South West in 2020, promising that they would provide secure, well-paid jobs of the future for manufacturing workers,” McCartney said.

“All they’ve done in that time is either put workers’ lives at risk or sack people at the drop of a hat.”

Albemarle will now narrow its focus on optimising and ramping its first train.

Most of the remaining staff at the plant, 460 out of the 500, will be managing the ongoing operations of the first train.