The US Department of Defense (DoD) has inked a multibillion-dollar partnership with MP Materials (MP), marking a pivotal moment in the evolution of global rare earth supply chains. As the first—and currently only—company with a fully integrated mine-to-magnet supply chain in North America, MP’s new “10X” facility is pivotal for reducing US strategic dependencies on […]
> Benchmark Mineral Intelligence is pleased to announce the addition of rare earth metal prices to the monthly Benchmark Rare Earths Price Assessment. Publication of these new prices will begin 31October 2025. Benchmark launches rare earth metal prices Benchmark is pleased to announce the launch of three new DDP China metal price assessment grades: These new assessments will be […]
> 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 […]
> The US Department of Defense (DoD) is tendering for up to $500 million of cobalt metal (min 99.8%) utilised in critical aerospace and defence components for its strategic stockpiles, the latest move by the US government to bolster critical mineral supply security and reduce strategic dependencies on China. According to the tender documents released this […]
> Two rare earth metal facilities are set to open this year in the US and Canada, paving the way towards a complete rare earth permanent magnet (REPM) supply chain in North America. Saskatchewan Research Council’s (SRC) metal plant became the first in Canada to enter commercial production last week. Meanwhile in Texas, US miner-processor MP […]
> Since January 2025, 108GWh of LFP production capacity has been announced in North America through to 2030, bringing the total to 281GWh. These announcements have been driven by the increasing importance of the BESS industry in the US, as tax credits for EVs have been phased out. How is future capacity changing? The new capacity […]
> 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 – […]
> 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 […]
> NEO Performance Materials (NEO), a Canadian company with 30 years of rare earths industry experience, officially opened its rare earth permanent magnet (REPM) plant in Narva, Estonia, with a high-level ceremony on September 19, with Benchmark in attendance. The Narva plant marks NEO’s second rare earth facility in Estonia, complementing its established Silmet rare earth […]