Nickel briquette has steadily become a more favored choice of feedstock for Chinese battery-grade nickel sulfate producers in recent months, resulting in a notable pick-up in spot trading activity for the former.

Fastmarkets today, Thursday April 1, launches two new reference prices: nickel sulfate, cif China, Japan and Korea, $ per tonne; and nickel sulfate premium, cif China, Japan and Korea, $ per tonne.

The three-month nickel price on the London Metal Exchange was up by 1% during morning trading on Tuesday March 23, while aluminium fell to $2,227.50 per tonne, with a combination of macroeconomic factors and fundamentals issues resulting in mixed price movements.

Battery recycling start-up Li-Cycle sees the commercial production achieved at its Rochester, New York, plant as the start of something big.

The United States’ transition to new energy will require increased domestic mineral production, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said on Tuesday March 9.

ArrowMetals will become a seller of nickel sulfate after agreeing a tolling arrangement with Cyprus refinery Hellenic Minerals to produce battery-grade material.

Freight Investor Services (FIS) completed the first brokered trade of the CME Group’s cash-settled cobalt futures contract on Thursday January 7, the company told Fastmarkets.

A reminder of Fastmarkets’ cobalt pricing schedule during the Christmas and New Year period.

China’s Tianqi Lithium’s wholly-owned subsidiary Tianqi Lithium Energy Australia Pty Ltd (TLEA) has brought in new strategic investor Australia-listed IGO Ltd as a 49% stakeholder, with both parties signing an initial investment agreement on Wednesday December 9.

Swiss miner-trader Glencore and Chinese battery materials producer GEM have extended their agreement for cobalt hydroxide supply by another five years.