Lithium Miners News For The Month Of May 2022
May 26, 2022 6:46 AM ETALB, AMVMF, ARYMF, BATT, CORX, CXOXF, GNENF, GNENY, LAC, LIT, LTHM, MALRF, MALRY, OROCF, PILBF, SGML, SQM, TSLA, WFAFF, WFAFY4 Comments9 Likes
Summary
Lithium chemicals prices were slightly lower the past month due to China Covid lockdowns & lower China EV sales; however, spodumene prices continued to rise strongly.
Lithium market news - Chile’s constitutional assembly rejects plans to nationalise parts of mining sector. BMI global gigafactory pipeline at 304 gigafactories and 6,387.6 GWh of battery capacity.
Lithium company news - POSCO to invest $20 billion in battery materials to rival Chinese firms. Q1 revenues and profits surge for the lithium producers.
The near term lithium producers (LAC, Argosy Minerals, Core Lithium & Sigma Lithium) remain on track to become producers later in 2022.
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Welcome to the May 2022 edition of the lithium miner news. The past month saw slightly lower lithium carbonate and hydroxide prices in China, but higher spodumene prices, including Pilbara Minerals achieving a record spodumene auction price in May of US$5,650/dmt (SC 5.5%) or ~US$6,586 /dmt (SC6.0%, CIF China basis). We also saw some positive moves from the USA and Canada to boost their EV related supply chains, notably battery manufacturing and EV metal mining.
In Q1, 2022 the lithium producers made record revenues and profits, boosted by sustained high lithium prices.
The world is beginning to understand that huge volumes of new lithium supply will be needed this decade to meet surging demand (~10x). The BMI gigafactory pipeline is now over 300 and is up 68% YoY to 6,387.6 GWh, which would require about 5.4 million tons pa of lithium (LCE) by 2030-32. 2021 lithium (LCE) demand was reported by BMI as 490,000tpa. 2020 was around 350,000tpa.
Lithium Spot And Contract Price News
Asian Metal reported during the past 30 days, 99.5% China lithium carbonate spot prices were down 0.93% and lithium hydroxide prices were down 0.94%. Lithium Iron Phosphate (Li 3.9% min) prices were down 2.24%. Spodumene (6% min) prices were up 13.78% over the past 30 days.
Benchmark Mineral Intelligence ("BMI") as of mid-May reported China lithium carbonate prices of RMB 462,500/tonne (US$68,450) (battery grade), and for lithium hydroxide RMB 473,000/tonne ($70,000), and stated (no link available): "Despite the temporary softening in prices, expectations are that prices will see further upside overall in H2 2022, once COVID restrictions are lifted, given that market supply remains exceptionally tight and any hindered demand from Q2 will likely be pushed into the latter half of the year."
Metal.com reported lithium spodumene concentrate (6%, CIF China) price of CNY 31,652 (~USD 4,757/mt), as of May 24, 2022. See also Pilbara Minerals news where their BMX auctions are achieving much higher prices. The May 24 auction achieved US$5,650/dmt (SC 5.5%) or ~US$6,586 /dmt (SC6.0%, CIF China basis).