The lithium-ion battery will remain the dominant solution for the electric vehicle (EV) market for the foreseeable future, according to market analysts.

The transition to electric vehicles (EVs) is real and here to stay, providing fundamental support to the burgeoning lithium industry, according to panelists speaking at Fastmarkets' Lithium Supply & Markets conference 2021 in Las Vegas on Tuesday September 21.

Given the impetus to grow lithium supply, the industry could learn from mistakes made by oil and gas companies during the United States’ energy independence journey, a Cowen analyst said during Fastmarkets' Lithium Supply & Markets conference 2021 in Las Vegas.

Fastmarkets, the industry-leading cross-commodity price reporting agency (PRA), is delighted to announce the successful completion of an independent assurance review of 34 key metals benchmarks.

Recently launched futures contracts can help mitigate significant volatility in the lithium market, but in the long term it is supply shortages that will keep buyers awake at night, according to market experts speaking at Fastmarkets Lithium Supply & Markets conference 2021 in Las Vegas.

Chinese battery materials producer Xiamen Tungsten New Energy Materials (XTC) has struck a deal with CNGR Advanced Materials Co for the supply of cobalt tetroxide and ternary precursor materials, XTC announced on Wedmesday September 15.

China’s cobalt tetroxide prices drifted lower in the week to Wednesday September 1, due to weak demand from battery producers, while cobalt sulfate prices remained rangebound, with producers rejecting lower bids.

Shanghai-listed Hainan Mining says it will invest no more than 1.065 billion yuan ($164 million) for the construction of a 20,000-tonnes-per-year battery-grade lithium hydroxide plant in Dongfang Lingang Industrial Park in China’s Hainan province.

Battery supply chain participants have prioritized securing lithium in the second half of 2021, but nickel has also been a headache for sourcing directors, who are less concerned about cobalt supplies, a Fastmarkets survey has found.

Civil unrest, Covid-19 and supply curbs – three factors that could keep cobalt prices high through 2021