CATL becomes China’s first battery producer to receive Benchmark’s top tier status
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Pilbara Minerals agrees new offtake agreement but challenging environment persists for spodumene producers
Amidst the ongoing global fallout from the coronavirus, Australia’s Pilbara Minerals have announced a five-year 75,000 tonnes per annum offtake agreement with Chinese Yibin Tianyi, a joint venture company backed by Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL).
The deal reflects Pilbara’s ongoing relationship with CATL, China’s only Tier One lithium ion battery … Read more
COBALT UNDER SIEGE
Cobalt is under siege as production targets are not met and prices continue to fall following a 65% y-o-y plummet in the battery metal price during the past 12 months
In February ERG announced it would place its Boss Mining operation on care and maintenance and suspend the company’s Chambishi … Read more
AFRICA’S CHALLENGE
An industry dominated by China sees Africa play an increasing role supplying natural flake graphite. How quickly can Africa displace China’s graphite lead?
After a successful Q1, Syrah Resources continues to lead the African graphite charge.
Syrah beat its Q1 2019 guidance target of 45,000 tonnes of natural flake graphite … Read more
MANGANESE: THE BLACK ART
Manganese has typically been used in steel production but is a key ingredient in lithium ion battery cathode materials. Here, Dr Richard Flook explores the manganese market.
Manganese received its name from the Latin word "magnes" meaning "magnet", or "magnesia nigri" meaning "black magnesia" which referred to pyrolusite (MnO2). With … Read more
THE EU H2020 FAME PROJECT: MINERAL PROCESSING SOLUTIONS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
This feature explores a European Union (EU) collaboration looking to develop the EU’s mineral processing facilities to bring them in line with the demands of modern industrial developments. By C P Broadbent and K Oliver of Wardell Armstrong International Ltd
FAME was a first-generation Horizon 2020 EU funded research and … Read more
THE NTH DEGREE
In the last issue of the Benchmark Quarterly Review we covered the increasing use of high purity alumina (HPA) – characterised by purity levels such as 99.99% (4N) and 99.999% (5N) – in LEDs and its latest role as a separator material in lithium ion batteries. Here we speak to … Read more
SCRAMBLE FOR LITHIUM
At the start of April 2019 Volkswagen and Ganfeng Lithium announced a landmark lithium supply, which is key to the auto giant’s electrification plans.
Volkswagen (VW) has taken a major step in securing the future of its bold electric vehicle (EV) production targets by locking in a long-term lithium supply … Read more
Palladium: A foreshadowing of the automotive industry’s approach to battery metals?
BY ANTHONY MILEWSKI, CHAIRMAN & CEO, COBALT 27 CAPITAL CORP.
For years automakers and investors alike have known that at some point the palladium stockpile in Russia, the world’s largest supplier of mined production, would sell down and the market would immediately move into deficit. As the stockpile in Russia … Read more
BATTERY METAL SOURCING TOPS AGENDA
BY RCS GLOBAL
While cobalt sourcing remains a critical risk, Vale’s dam disaster in January 2019 spurred a profound change in mining practices.
The launch of the RCS Global Group Responsible Commodities Monitor earlier this year coincided with major evolutions in responsible sourcing of raw materials and particularly battery metals. … Read more