The world's biggest lithium producer will consider mergers and acquisitions on top of an expansion of its Australian lithium mine, as it seeks to supply what it believes will be strong growth in lithium-ion batteries over the next five years.

US company Albemarle predicted over the weekend that demand for lithium-ion batteries would rise 8 per cent per year for the next five years, fuelling demand for the soft, light metal that is sourced from hard rock spodumene in Australia and brine extraction in the Americas.