Battery materials
Overview
Growth in global electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) production has put a spotlight on battery materials. While lithium-ion batteries dominate the current market, this is a rapidly emerging technology space where improved range or charge times can quicky shift industry sentiment and investment in a different direction.
Argus is at the forefront of battery materials pricing and reporting with coverage of common battery metals (lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite), industry-grade cathodes and black mass. As experts in specialty metals and rare earths, we future-proof our price assessment portfolio with a range of electronic metals crucial to the manufacture of technology deployed in modern vehicles.
Our Argus Battery Materials and Argus Non-Ferrous Markets services help businesses to understand these complicated supply chains, including price volatility and sustainability challenges around future demand.
Minor metals: Battery metals
As automakers continue to invest in electric vehicle production and power companies explore infrastructure that includes energy storage programmes, the metals contained in lithium-ion batteries supporting these products has attracted interest from investors, institutions and manufacturers alike.
Argus is well positioned to provide insight into price volatility, global supply and responsible material sourcing for all manufacturers and investors in this sector.
Highlights of Argus battery materials coverage
- Understand the context of significant price movements and industry trends with a weekly PDF that highlights the most important market news across lithium, cobalt, graphite, nickel and other common battery materials
- Mitigate risk and perform reliable forward planning with 1-year and 10-year forecasts across different battery metals, chemistries and industries
- Gain a competitive edge with industry-specific tools, such as the Black Mass Calculator that estimates the intrinsic value of different battery chemistries (including cathodes like NCM111, NCM523, LFP, NCA)
- Invest with confidence knowing Argus is IOSCO-compliant with over 50 years of experience delivering trusted price data and market intelligence
Latest battery materials news
Browse the latest market moving news on the global battery materials industry.
Li-S battery startup to build $1bn gigafactory in US
Li-S battery startup to build $1bn gigafactory in US
Houston, 15 October (Argus) — Battery technology developer Lyten plans to invest more than $1bn to build its first gigafactory in the US, where it will produce on a commercial scale its lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries that can be used in electric vehicles (EVs). The California company intends to manufacture cathode active material (CAM) and lithium metal anodes at the facility, while also completing assembly of its Li-S battery cells in both cylindrical and pouch formats there, it said today. Lyten has targeted 2027 for when phase one operations will commence, with construction beginning in early 2025. Lyten estimates that the facility will be able to produce up to 10 gigawatt hours (GWh)/yr at full capacity, but the company did not provide a timeline for when that would be achieved. The proposed factory is expected to encompass 1.25mn ft2 and be located outside Reno, Nevada. Lyten anticipates hiring 200 employees initially before growing its workforce to 1,000 as the facility reaches peak production. Lyten in May shipped its first Li-S batteries to automaker Stellantis — one of its investors — and other EV manufacturers for testing from its pilot plant in San Jose, California. The company also delivered its first 6.5Ah pouch cells to a major consumer electronics firm, while targeting first shipments of its cylindrical cells in the second and third quarters of this year. The company touts its Li-S batteries can carry more energy density than nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) batteries but at costs more competitive with lithium-iron-phosphorous (LFP) batteries. By Alex Nicoll Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Korea's Posco starts output at new NCA cathode plant
Korea's Posco starts output at new NCA cathode plant
Singapore, 14 October (Argus) — South Korean battery materials producer Posco Future M, a subsidiary of conglomerate Posco, has begun producing nickel-cobalt-aluminum (NCA) cathodes at its plant in Pohang ahead of schedule, citing "customer requests". The 30,000 t/yr NCA cathode plant that sits in North Gyeongsang province's Pohang city was originally planned to start production and sales in 2025. Posco Future M has another NCA plant under construction in South Jeolla province's Gwangyang city, which will have a production capacity of 52,500 t/yr. The firm in 2023 signed a 10-year deal to supply fellow battery manufacturer Samsung SDI with high-nickel NCA cathodes, which will come from some of the lines at the upcoming Gwangyang plant, it said. The company expects to reach 248,500 t/yr of cathode material production capacity by 2026, with 106,000 t/yr from Pohang and 142,500 t/yr from Gwangyang, because of the continuing electric vehicle (EV) market slowdown, it said on 14 October. These capacities are markedly lower from a goal of 320,000 t/yr by 2025 that the firm said in July last year. Posco Future M earlier in September suspended plans to build a nickel sulphate and battery precursors plant with major Chinese lithium-ion battery metal and cathode active material (CAM) manufacturer Huayou Cobalt because of an EV "chasm". The term typically refers to the adoption gap in new technologies between early adopters and mass market consumers, which may be the cause of the slowdown in ex-China EV sales. The firm in September also disclosed that it is pushing back the timeline to complete a 30,000 t/yr high-nickel CAM plant in Canada's Quebec , which is a joint venture with US automaker General Motors, citing "local conditions". The plant was supposed to be completed in the second half of 2024. By Joseph Ho Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
South Star kicks off graphite output in Brazil
South Star kicks off graphite output in Brazil
Sao Paulo, 9 October (Argus) — Canadian battery-metals developer South Star has started graphite production in Brazil and expects to deliver its first batch of the product this month. The company has produced one metric tonne (t) of graphite concentrate in its Santa Cruz project, located in the Brazilian state of Bahia, it said on Monday. The move comes after the company completed the phase 1 of the project, it added. It now expects to ramp up production and ship the material by the end of October. South Star is committed to expanding to 50,000t/yr of graphite concentrate production "as the markets and clients need more material," the company's chief executive Richard Pearce said. Santa Cruz phase 1 commercial output has a nameplate capacity of 12,000t/yr, with phase 2 expected to produce 25,000t/yr by 2026, and its final phase is expected to be producing 50,000t/yr by 2028, the company said. Brazil holds one of the world's largest reserves in natural graphite of 74mn t, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). Second Star also holds a graphite project in the US state of Alabama, as the company aims to create a "multi-asset battery-metals company with near-term operations in strategic jurisdictions." By Carolina Pulice Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Rio Tinto to take over US' Arcadium Lithium for $6.7bn
Rio Tinto to take over US' Arcadium Lithium for $6.7bn
Singapore, 9 October (Argus) — Global mining giant Rio Tinto today confirmed that it will be buying US-based Arcadium Lithium in a $6.7bn deal, which will make Rio Tinto a top global lithium producer once the deal completes by mid-2025. This comes just days after the two firms publicly acknowledged discussions are happening . The all-cash transaction of $5.85/share is at a premium of 90pc to Arcadium's closing price of $3.08/share on 4 October. This placed the deal at around $6.7bn, higher than the proposed $4.2bn deal last year between another major lithium producer Albemarle and Australian lithium producer Liontown Resources, of which Albemarle eventually backed off from. Rio Tinto and Arcadium's board of directors have approved the transaction and Rio Tinto expects the deal to be closed in mid-2025, subject to regulatory approvals and other "closing conditions", it said. "Rio Tinto has been wanting to break into the lithium industry," said an Australian spodumene miner. "But [it] has not been making breakthroughs following its setbacks in Serbia, so this is a massive move from them, in display of their determination in the lithium industry." "They certainly are not mucking around," said an Australia-based source in a trading house, referring to the deal amount. Rio Tinto's $2.4bn lithium project in Serbia was delayed in 2022 , following environmental licensing delays and local oppositions. A Serbian court this year overturned the government's decision against the project. But the project's future has recently been thrown again into uncertainty, as a proposal from the opposition to ban lithium and borate mining and exploration in the country emerged last week. The European Green party earlier on 26 September criticised Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic for reintroducing the project, stating that was "without the needed respect for democratic standards and public involvement". Arcadium currently has around 75,000 t/yr of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) production capacity, spanning across lithium hydroxide, carbonate and spodumene, said Rio Tinto, adding that the acquisition increases its exposure to a "high-growth" and "attractive" market. Arcadium earlier said its expansion projects, split across two waves, could raise its production capacity to 295,000 t/yr of LCE "beyond 2028". It earlier delayed the timeline for its first wave of expansions from 2026 to 2028 to preserve cash, but that target may now be put back on track given the acquisition, according to Arcadium's chief executive officer Paul Graves on 9 October. "If we were to accelerate those projects, it'd have been about 50,000t of lithium product in the form of spodumene or carbonate on line two years quicker than our plans today," he said, adding that acceleration of its second wave of expansions may also be possible. Rio Tinto expects over 10pc of compound annual growth in lithium demand through to 2040, which it said will lead to a supply deficit while acknowledging that the deal is a "counter-cyclical acquisition". This year's lithium market slump has prompted multiple output cuts or suspensions from lithium producers, with lithium firms being increasingly cautious about expansion plans. Arcadium was not spared and had to suspend some operations at its Mount Cattlin mine in Western Australia while delaying its expansions . By Joseph Ho Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Spotlight content
Browse the latest thought leadership produced by our global team of experts.
China’s cobalt surge necessitates change
The surge in cobalt metal supply from China penetrating global markets requires a new, bold solution to confused pricing mechanisms, especially in Europe.
Podcast - 24/09/24Metal Movers: The future of African lithium
Video - 08/08/24Quarterly Battery Materials market update – July 2024
Gain insight into battery materials with our July quarterly update, covering the latest updates in the Electric Vehicles market and key pricing trends in the battery metals markets
Explore our battery materials and related products
Take advantage of the battery materials trend and manage your price risk exposure with reliable market intelligence, industry-specifics tools and outlooks that inform your long-term strategy in EVs, energy storage and other battery spaces.
Key price assessments
Argus prices are recognised by the market as trusted and reliable indicators of the real market value. Explore some of our most widely used and relevant price assessments.
