Black mass will be categorised as a hazardous waste in the European Union following the bloc’s decision to update the List of Waste as part of its recent industrial strategy for the automotive sector. Under the Basel Convention hazardous waste can only be exported to OECD countries. This change unifies how black mass is handled […]
> Black mass markets in Q3 2025 were largely shaped by China’s lifting of import restrictions on 1 August, which re‑routed trade flows. Outside of China, this has created a two-tier market divided by compliance with Chinese custom’s quality controls. Compliant material commanded high premiums (79%–84%), while producers of non‑compliant batches struggled to clear material, trading […]
> In the third quarter of 2025, 18 of the largest 25 copper miners reported quarter-on-quarter decreases in their output, including the top four miners. The total Q3 copper production reported by the top 25 miners hit 3.72Mt. “In the third quarter, many companies saw lower production compared to the previous quarter. However, most did not […]
> Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, specialising in battery supply chain research and insights, reports that 12.7GWh of new operational capacity entered operation in October 2025. Operational Capacity The grid-scale BESS market saw 12.7GWh of new capacity enter operations globally in October 2025, a y-o-y increase of 29%. China led new operational capacity with just under 8.8GWh of […]
> G7 nations and the European Union (EU) are reportedly examining a proposal to introduce price floors for rare earth elements, as they seek measures to reduce strategic vulnerabilities and break China’s dominance over the supply chain. China has built a monopoly on global rare earth production and accounts for 91% of global refined rare earth […]
> South Korea’s battery industry is one of the most developed and globally integrated ecosystems in the world. Yet beneath the surface of its technical leadership lies a sense of caution: competition from China is intensifying, margins are thin, and chemistry choices are shifting rapidly. A recent visit by Benchmark’s Lithium Product Director, Cameron Perks – […]
> Since electric vehicles (EVs) began moving into mass adoption, questions have persisted about what happens to their batteries at the end of life (EoL). Recycling remains the obvious answer, but there is a growing interest exploring the intermediate step of giving used EV batteries a “second life” in stationary energy storage before they head to the […]
> The mining industry accounted for ~5% of global carbon emissions last year, with roughly half originating from mining vehicles. Electrifying mine sites offers an opportunity for miners to cut emissions while also reducing costs. With 30%–50% of a mine’s energy costs attributed to diesel, replacing internal combustion fleets can deliver significant savings. “Mining electrification is […]
> Bearish raw material markets are dragging down black mass prices and payables, squeezing the margins of players in the recycling industry. Prices for black mass from lithium iron phosphate (LFP) scrap feedstock have been the worst hit by the low lithium price environment, with the aggregated price for LFP black mass dropping 2.33% month-on-month to […]