Lithium pricing mechanisms are changing, as many players are reassessing how contracting is done on the back of lithium spot price volatility, according to delegates at Benchmark Week. Following a spot price rally that began in 2021, there was a move away from fixed pricing contracts, Daisy Jennings-Gray, a senior price analyst at Benchmark, […]
> 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 […]
> Global anode producers will struggle to compete with the largest Chinese producers of the battery material without innovation, Benchmark analyst Albert Li said at the Benchmark Week 2023 conference in Los Angeles. “Unless there is any revolutionary anode product that changes the whole picture, future anode producers outside China will have to compete directly with […]
> Paperwork problems have left two of Jiangxi’s largest lithium mines facing prolonged suspension risk. The picture appears to be less of a blanket clampdown and more a story of bureaucratic delays, policy philosophy, and fiscal adjustments. Yet the effect on global pricing is the same: lithium’s floor raises, allowing prices to remain higher for longer. […]
> Benchmark Mineral Intelligence announced today that it has started a formal consultation on changes to the sustainable lithium and sustainable nickel grades in its Lithium Price Assessment and Nickel Price Assessment Methodologies. Benchmark proposes to change the frequency of updates to its list of eligible producers, whose material can contribute to these grades, from quarterly […]
> Professor Stanley Whittingham was awarded Benchmark’s Lifetime Achievement Award at Benchmark Week 2023 conference in Los Angeles. Whittingham won the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 2019 alongside Akira Yoshino and John Goodenough for his work on the development of lithium ion batteries. Here are some key takeaways from his talk: Battery technology: Whittingham shared with […]
> Australian lithium miner Liontown Resources has raised AUD316 million (US$206 mn) in equity. This includes investments from the Australian government and major Chinese lithium chemical producer Canmax. The funds will support the ramp up of Liontown’s Kathleen Valley spodumene mine which began operations last year. This comes following a recovery in spodumene prices, which traded […]
> As the dust settles on LME Week in London, Benchmark reviews some of the key themes that shaped discussions throughout the week and gauges sentiment across metal markets heading towards year end. Across the board, discussions reflected metal markets navigating shifting trade policy, supply-side disruption, and uneven demand recovery. Copper: Arbitrage and disruption dominate discussion […]
> Falling lithium prices could delay investment in new mines that will be needed to meet rising demand this decade, according to producer Allkem. Chinese lithium prices have fallen over 70% this year, due to a slowdown in demand in China and a rise in supply from new mines. Prices for lithium hydroxide have been particularly […]