Australian manganese producers South32 and Element 25 have been selected for grants worth up to $166 million each from the US Department of Energy (DoE) to develop high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate (HPMSM) projects in the country. This is the first such funding from the DoE dedicated to HPMSM projects as the US looks to lower […]
> 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 […]
> 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 Energy has allocated $680 million in awards to five battery recycling initiatives as part of a second round of funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). Aligning with the Biden Administration’s vision of reducing reliance on Chinese-dominated supply chains, extracting battery minerals from spent lithium-ion battery cells is seen as a […]
> China has postponed the implementation of its expanded rare earth export controls announced in early October following high-level US-China trade negotiations in South Korea this week. It marks a temporary easing in what had become an escalating front in the tit-for-tat US–China trade confrontation. The announcement follows extensive economic and trade consultations in Kuala Lumpur, […]
> 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 […]
> 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 – […]
> 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 […]
> The battery industry is dominated by LFP and NCM cathode chemistries, but even with these well-established chemistries there is room for new technologies to be developed. Recently manganese rich cathode chemistries such as LMR (Lithium Manganese Rich), LMNO (Lithium Manganese Nickel Oxide) or HLM (High Lithium Manganese) cathode chemistries have gained market coverage. What does […]