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.

The gap between lithium spot and contract prices has narrowed significantly in 2021 as a result of tight availability along the lithium supply chain and price evolution, market sources said.

China lithium producer Ganfeng Lithium is acquiring a 50% stake in a special purpose company that owns the Goulamina hard-rock mine in Mali for $130 million, the company said on Tuesday June 15.

Pilbara Minerals is targeting “mid-stream” lithium salts production to achieve a greener and better supply chain, Dale Henderson, the Australia-listed lithium miner’s chief operating officer, said during an investor meeting on Tuesday May 11.

Construction work will restart in the near future at the Kniwana lithium hydroxide plant in Western Australia after Australia-based exploration and mining company IGO joined the venture at the end of 2020, a spokesperson at joint-owner Tianqi told Fastmarkets on Tuesday May 4.

The battery-grade seaborne Asian lithium carbonate market continued to post gains over the week on Thursday May 6 amid tight spot availability.

Australian lithium-spodumene producer Altura Mining has appointed Alex Cheeseman chief executive officer with immediate effect, the company said on Friday April 16.

A summary of Australia-based spodumene concentrate miner Galaxy Resources’ preliminary results for the first quarter of 2021, released on Monday April 12.

Australian lithium spodumene concentrate producer Pilbara Minerals has agreed to an additional offtake agreement with Chinese lithium producer Yibin Tianyi, it said on Monday March 15.

Lithium miner Pilbara Minerals has completed the acquisition of Altura Lithium, it said on Wednesday January 20.