Category Archives: Cobalt

Benchmark hails overwhelming reaction to Senate hearing on energy, EV supply chains

Batteries, Cobalt, EV, Graphite, Lithium, Megafactory, Tesla

Benchmark Mineral Intelligence has welcomed the overwhelming reaction to the US Senate hearing on Tuesday 5 February in Washington, DC, which focused on electric vehicle and energy storage supply chains. Led by Chairman Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), the hearing was the first of the US Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources in the 116th Congress. The … Continue reading Benchmark hails overwhelming reaction to Senate hearing on energy, EV supply chains →

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Has Glencore given electric vehicles the extra push to engineer cobalt out of a battery?

Batteries, Cathodes, Cobalt, conflict minerals, Uncategorised

Is cobalt becoming its own worst enemy? Simon Moores, Managing Director, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence explores Glencore’s latest move to pull hydroxide supply from the market in the midst of contract negotiating season and what it means for cobalt’s strained relationship with cathode, battery and electric vehicle (EV) producers. ———– On Tuesday 6 November, the wires and social … Continue reading Has Glencore given electric vehicles the extra push to engineer cobalt out of a battery? →

DOWNLOAD: Lithium, cobalt prices enter new period of volatility as era of EV begins; vanadium awaits lithium ion moment

Batteries, China, Cobalt, EV, Gigafactory, Graphite, Lithium, Tesla, , , , , , , , , ,

Lithium and cobalt prices are experiencing a new period of volatility as prices crest from post-2010 highs. Both speciality minerals that are key components in an electric vehicle’s lithium ion battery began to see a downward turn in 2018. The Benchmark World Tour 2018 – the world’s leading investor forum for lithium ion supply chain … Continue reading DOWNLOAD: Lithium, cobalt prices enter new period of volatility as era of EV begins; vanadium awaits lithium ion moment →

Financial Times cites Benchmark on cobalt’s role in electric vehicles, solid state batteries

Cobalt

Benchmark Mineral Intelligence’s Caspar Rawles, Analyst, and Simon Moores, Managing Director, were today cited in an article in the Financial Times. The article, Electric cars: the race to replace cobalt, covers cobalt’s current and future role in the lithium ion and solid state battery technologies and its supply chain and the challenges it faces with the … Continue reading Financial Times cites Benchmark on cobalt’s role in electric vehicles, solid state batteries →

Nickel v cobalt: The secret EV battle for the lithium ion battery

Cobalt, Nickel, , , , , , , ,

There is a low profile battle occurring between raw material miners and chemical manufacturers for the future of the lithium ion battery. There is battery tug of war between nickel and cobalt that is being driven by electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers’ desire to cut battery cell costs and increase energy density. But the push to … Continue reading Nickel v cobalt: The secret EV battle for the lithium ion battery →

LG Chem / Huayou cobalt deal reshapes cathode landscape for electric vehicle batteries

Batteries, China, Cobalt

Korean battery major LG Chem and China’s Huayou Cobalt have announced a huge deal to launch two plants that will have a significant bearing on the lithium ion battery industry’s cathode direction. The partnership will see a 40,000 tpa lithium ion battery precursor plant and a 40,000 tpa cathode plant being constructed within China over … Continue reading LG Chem / Huayou cobalt deal reshapes cathode landscape for electric vehicle batteries →

Benchmark launches cobalt industry’s first ever battery metal price

Cobalt, Uncategorised

Benchmark Mineral Intelligence has initiated coverage on cobalt metal pricing by launching a Cobalt Battery Metal price to be included as part of Benchmark’s industry leading service, Cobalt Price Assessment. Benchmark’s cobalt battery metal price tracks the metal products most suited to be converted into cobalt chemicals and used in the lithium ion battery supply … Continue reading Benchmark launches cobalt industry’s first ever battery metal price →

Cobalt’s shift to battery grade needed an independent price to reflect it

Cobalt

by Caspar Rawles @CDMRawles Since I began my role as cobalt analyst at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence in September 2016, cobalt has undergone a meteoric rise which continues to this day. Prices have more than doubled and are still experiencing upward pressure, with the mineral being tipped by many investors as the hot prospect of 2017. … Continue reading Cobalt’s shift to battery grade needed an independent price to reflect it →

BASF targets cathode supply security with Norilsk nickel & cobalt negotiations

Announcements, Batteries, Cobalt, ,

Chemicals and cathodes giant BASF announced that it has entered into exclusive negotiations with Russian nickel behemoth Norilsk Nickel for the supply of nickel and cobalt for the next generation of battery cathode materials, to be produced in Europe. In a press release dated 27th June, the world’s leading chemical company highlighted their intention to … Continue reading BASF targets cathode supply security with Norilsk nickel & cobalt negotiations →

Bigger than Giga: Tesla’s plan for 3 more battery megafactories

Cobalt, Gigafactory, Graphite, Lithium, Tesla

Tesla’s latest financial results not only painted a rosy picture for the clean energy crusader in 2016 but also hinted at significant future infrastructure expansions putting further strain on already stretched raw material markets. In January production of Tesla’s new 2170 cell – which will be used in energy storage as well as the Model … Continue reading Bigger than Giga: Tesla’s plan for 3 more battery megafactories →