Prices for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cells in China rose above high-nickel cells for the first time since January 2021 last month, due to a rapid increase in the price of lithium carbonate, temporarily eroding the cost advantages of the battery technology. Prismatic LFP cell prices in China were 2% higher than prismatic NCM811 […]
> R&D is key to how any future-facing market evolves, and in batteries, it determines which company will lead the next wave of energy innovation. Across leading cell manufacturers, R&D spending highlights sharply contrasting strategies and substantial differences within the global battery supply chain. CATL leads the way in R&D CATL has consistently led R&D investment, […]
> 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 […]
> The Trump administration is stepping up direct investments in critical mineral projects to bolster US supply security, as part of a broader push by Washington to acquire equity in sectors considered vital to national security. Last week, the US Department of Energy (DoE) announced it would restructure a $2.3bn loan agreement with Lithium Americas, providing […]
> US-made lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cell prices are forecast to be 56% higher than their Chinese equivalents in 2025, according to the new Benchmark Cell Price Forecast. Although the build out of domestic LFP cell production lines is expected close this price gap somewhat, US dependence on LFP cathode active material (CAM) imports limits its […]
> The global weighted average price for lithium ion cells fell to an over three year low in July mainly due to a continued decline in lithium and other key battery raw material prices so far this year. The latest global average cell price for lithium ion cells fell 4.8% month-on-month to $71.2 per kilowatt hours […]
> 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 […]
> 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 […]