Get your copy of the Fastmarkets' BRM risk matrix to understand the ten greatest risks to the battery raw materials market and global EV growth

With demand for critical battery raw materials such as lithium, cobalt and nickel increasing, investments are flooding in to solve the emerging challenge posed by end-of-life lithium-ion batteries

10 factors that could put the brakes on electric vehicle growth

Alternative chemistries to lithium-ion batteries could account for more than 10% of the nascent stationary energy storage market by 2025, according to research group IDTechEx

Availability concerns on certain materials and in specific regions have been supporting the emergence of a premium for alloy-grade cobalt against standard-grade material, compounded by the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine war and its potential effect on flows of Russian cobalt

Russia’s belligerence against Ukraine has highlighted again the theme of national security and energy independence for the EU and the United States, in light of the steps that both are taking toward a future-proof energy transition

Battery producers will have to grapple with historically high prices across different chemistries with most raw material prices facing a deepening supply crunch, potentially making decarbonization of the transportation sector more expensive in the longer term

A ruling by a court in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) placing a temporary administrator in charge of China Molybdenum’s cobalt mine in the country could have significant implications for the cobalt hydroxide market, sources have told Fastmarkets

Cobalt market participants have reported that this week’s Russian invasion of Ukraine will compound the tightness in availability of units in the spot market while some opt to steer clear of handling Russian material

The United States government under President Joe Biden has announced a raft of investments intended to help to secure a domestic supply chain for materials such as lithium and rare earths, which are critical for the transition to a ‘clean’ economy