Zimbabwe’s government will ban lithium concentrate exports from 2027, as it pushes for greater domestic downstream development. There are five operating lithium mines in Zimbabwe, all operated by Chinese companies: Chengxin Lithium, Sinomine Resource, Huayou Cobalt, Yahua Group and Tsingshan Group. Combined these assets have a total designed capacity of 290 ktpa LCE (lithium carbonate […]
> Zimbabwe is currently the fourth largest producer of mined lithium globally, and is at the heart of Africa’s rising strength in the global lithium industry. Africa’s mined lithium supply is set to increase nine-fold between 2023 and 2030, according to Benchmark’s Lithium Forecast, when it is forecast to account for 14% of global supply. Zimbabwe […]
> 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 […]
> 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 […]
> African lithium raw materials exports have increased over the past year as mines owned by Chinese lithium processors across the continent go online. Benchmark forecasts that 97% of Africa’s mined lithium supply in 2024 is set to come from projects owned by Chinese companies that also have lithium chemical processing capacity. Zimbabwe has been […]
> 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 […]
> 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 […]
> Benchmark has tracked over $50 billion of energy transition funding, throughout 2025 in its Energy Transition Capital database, with the largest share allocated to the battery supply chain. The role of debt, grants, and equity Debt The EV, battery, and battery materials markets have matured rapidly over the past few years. As a result, debt is playing an increasingly […]