The targets laid out in the European Union’s Critical Raw Materials Act will require significant growth in the bloc’s mining, processing and recycling capabilities, Benchmark data shows. The Act, which came into force last month requires that by 2030 certain percentages of the bloc’s combined annual demand for strategic minerals be met by EU-based mines, […]
> 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 […]
> Benchmark Week 2025 kicked off in LA on Tuesday, with policy makers, industry leaders, and experts from Benchmark discussing the key topics impacting energy transition supply chains in 2025. From across the first day’s sessions three key takeaways emerged: 1. Supply chains are a national security priority now more than ever “These are not just […]
> Indonesia has issued a ban on the issuance of new smelter permits for nickel matte, mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP), and nickel pig iron (NPI), in a bid to curb overcapacity and incentivise value‑added investment in the battery supply chain. The policy marks the latest chapter in the Indonesian government’s strategic pivot in its nickel industrialisation […]
> The European Union (EU) is eyeing Greenland as a key strategic partner as it advances plans to develop Europe-focused raw material value chains and reduce reliance on China. The bloc signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Greenland for a strategic partnership to develop sustainable raw materials value chains in November 2023; a bilateral cooperation […]
> Escalating unrest in Mali, as jihadi groups target fuel convoys around the capital Bamako, has led several governments including France and the US to advise their citizens to leave the country. The attacks have created fuel shortages, and raised serious concerns around the military government’s ability to maintain its rule in the country. Mali is […]
> The UK currently has no operating lithium extraction facilities. However, there are ambitious plans to develop this industry, with 97,000 tonnes LCE per year of nameplate capacity in the pipeline at various stages of funding and development. Direct lithium extraction (DLE) from geothermal brines accounts for 60% of this pipeline, according to Benchmark’s Lithium Forecast. […]
> The battery recycling industries in both Europe and North America are skewed towards black mass production through battery waste pretreatment, leading critical minerals to leak into Asia where there is an abundance of black mass refining capacity, primarily in the form of hydrometallurgy. Although both recycling industries are at similar levels of maturity, there are […]