Saudi Arabia has struck a $3.5 billion deal with Brazilian miner Vale for 10% of its copper and nickel base metals division, marking the oil power’s first entry into battery metals mining. The binding agreement involves Manara Minerals, a joint venture between the Saudi Arabian state mining company Ma’aden and the Saudi government’s sovereign wealth […]
> 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 […]
> Luxury electric vehicle developer, Lucid Motors is headquartered in California but is majority funded by the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund, Public Investment Fund (PIF). The company completed construction of its first manufacturing facility, AMP-1, in Arizona, US in December 2020 and opened a second, knock-down kit facility (AMP-2) in Saudi Arabia in September 2023. […]
> Ex-China manufacturers of synthetic graphite electrodes for steel are moving away into battery anodes, galvanised by prospects of high lithium ion demand growth. “The shift is driven by the anticipated significant surge in demand for battery anode materials outside of China, with electrode end-use demand projected to grow at a relatively steadier rate year on-year,” […]
> 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 […]
> 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 […]
> China’s largest electric vehicle producer BYD is building a battery supply chain in South America, with plans for the region’s first cathode plant in Chile as well as a lithium and iron phosphate processing facility in Brazil. The $290 million Antofagasta plant, BYD’s first overseas cathode facility, is expected to begin production by late 2025 […]
> Saudi Arabia is a step closer to becoming part of the global battery industry after deals to develop lithium processing and anode material projects in the country. The deals could make Saudi Arabia’s lithium ion supply chain the most developed in the Middle East, which right now has virtually no battery material capacity. Saudi Arabia’s […]
> Middle Eastern countries, especially the Gulf states, are beginning to pivot their economies away from oil and towards clean energy supply chains. Assisting in this transition are the region’s Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs) which are increasingly investing in critical minerals and downstream energy transition projects. SWFs in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region […]