South Korean battery maker SK On has secured a domestic source of lithium hydroxide from Posco Pilbara Lithium Solution. The deal is for up to 15,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide (13,200 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent) over the next three years with the option to extend this for another three years. Sourcing lithium chemicals locally […]
> 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 – […]
> India’s pipeline of cathode active material (CAM) production capacity is set to grow more than 50-fold over the next decade. Altmin, Himadri Speciality Chemical, and Epsilon Advanced Materials have the largest pipeline capacities in the country. Almost all CAM capacity under development in India is for LFP, both due to the popularity of the cathode […]
> Australian lithium producer Pilbara Minerals is set to acquire Latin Resources through an all-share deal worth $369 million dollars, the company announced on 15 August. Pilbara Minerals is the second largest lithium hard rock miner operating globally, according to Benchmark’s Lithium Forecast, with Pilganoora in Western Australia as its biggest asset. The acquisition will boost […]
> 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 […]
> Foreign entity of concern (FEOC) restrictions on Chinese supply would make it difficult for South Korean producers to meet demand for Inflation Reduction Act-compliant batteries, according to battery makers LG and SK On. In their feedback to the US Treasury’s FEOC guidelines, SK On joined LG and Hyundai in expressing reluctance to move away from […]
> US President Donald Trump this week secured major investments in US-based projects from Japan and South Korea covering critical minerals, stationary storage, and other high-priority sectors, as part of trade agreements to lower US tariff barriers. The trade deals come ahead of a high-level meeting between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping – the […]
> Lithium chemical prices spiked in China on Monday following a bullish speech by the chairman of Ganfeng – the world’s third-largest lithium producer – in which it was suggested that lithium demand growth could reach 30% in 2026. In a keynote speech on 16 November at the 10th International Summit on Power Battery Application 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 […]