France is set to build its first lithium cathode material plant thanks to a joint venture signed between Chinese battery materials supplier XTC New Energy Materials and French nuclear fuel cycle specialist Orano. The companies have announced they will invest 1.5 billion euros ($1.6 billion) into a cathode active material and precursor factory, both to […]
> Lithium chemical prices spiked in China on Monday following a bullish speech by the chairman of Ganfeng – the world’s third-largest lithium producer – in which it was suggested that lithium demand growth could reach 30% in 2026. In a keynote speech on 16 November at the 10th International Summit on Power Battery Application in […]
> Benchmark hosted its inaugural Giga Africa event in Marrakesh, Morocco in September, featuring delegates from across the battery supply chain. Over the many conversations and discussions held about Africa’s place in the global battery supply chain, several key themes emerged: Explore these topics in the words of Giga Africa’s expert speakers and panellists.
> Sibanye-Stillwater plans to re-purpose the Sandouville nickel refinery in northern France to produce battery precursor (pCAM), progressing the company’s strategy of increasing its downstream exposure to Europe’s battery supply chain. Acquired from Eramet in 2022, the Sandouville refinery’s hydrometallurgical flowsheet was due to be upgraded to produce battery-grade nickel sulphate from nickel matte, but has […]
> Benchmark Mineral Intelligence today announced the commercial launch of its new 314Ah lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cell price for energy storage applications. The announcement comes as global LFP battery cell prices show signs of recovery, following a marked rebound in lithium carbonate costs and tightening supply conditions across the battery materials market. Benchmark’s Head of […]
> The Indonesian government is proposing what ministers have termed “regulatory tweaks” aimed at promoting the adoption of nickel-based batteries over lithium iron phosphate (LFP), in a move that aligns with the government’s broader policy to ‘downstream’ its nickel resources by establishing a fully-integrated domestic EV supply chain. While details of the new policy framework are […]
> Rio Tinto is considering building a lithium hydroxide refinery in France to process material for the European battery market, Benchmark can confirm. The mining company is looking at building the plant on the site of a borax refinery it currently operates near Dunkirk. Production could begin from 2026. The refinery would be Rio Tinto’s first […]
> The Indian government has acknowledged that black mass exporters are circumventing hazardous waste export rules through the use of unrelated HS codes. Under current regulation, black mass can only be exported from India under a certain HS code once the exporting company has received an export control licence and further permissions from the Indian government. […]
> The battery industry is dominated by LFP and NCM cathode chemistries, but even with these well-established chemistries there is room for new technologies to be developed. Recently manganese rich cathode chemistries such as LMR (Lithium Manganese Rich), LMNO (Lithium Manganese Nickel Oxide) or HLM (High Lithium Manganese) cathode chemistries have gained market coverage. What does […]