Benchmark hosted the first World Lithium Congress on the final day of its Giga USA 2024 conference in Washington DC. Here, Source outlines the key takeaways. 1. Lithium industry scaleup needed to meet battery demands All critical minerals in the battery supply chain require significant scale-up to meet the 8.4 terawatt-hours of battery demand forecasted […]
> As the curtain fell on Benchmark’s flagship Giga USA event last week in Washington DC, it was clear that the lithium ion battery industry had firmly entered a new era: one in which policy and politics are front and centre. “The trend is pretty obvious,” said Simon Moores, CEO of Benchmark, delivering his opening remarks. […]
> 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 […]
> 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 […]
> South Korean steel and chemicals giant POSCO has taken a 30% stake in Australia’s Mineral Resources’ (MinRes) 50% stakes in the Mt Marion and Wodgina mines for US$765 million. Structured as a joint venture, the deal would see MinRes and POSCO hold an overall 35% and 15% of the operations, as well as corresponding rights […]
> Benchmark has tracked over $50 billion of energy transition funding, throughout 2025 in its Energy Transition Capital database, with the largest share allocated to the battery supply chain. The role of debt, grants, and equity Debt The EV, battery, and battery materials markets have matured rapidly over the past few years. As a result, debt is playing an increasingly […]
> Strengthening collaboration between the public and private sectors will be critical for the US and its Western allies’ ambition of building secure clean energy supply chains, according to panellists on the first day of Benchmark’s Giga USA 2024 event in Washington DC. “The critical minerals sector is not a free market,” said former United Kingdom […]
> The US Department of Homeland Security has designated copper and lithium imports from China for “high‑priority” enforcement under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), due to alleged human‑rights abuses in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The enforcement plan sets sector‑specific requirements for traceability, documentation, and verification to prevent goods linked to forced labour in […]
> 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 […]