SQM – the world’s second largest lithium miner – expects average lithium prices to rise by close to 50% on the previous quarter in the last three months of 2021, based on rapidly strengthening demand for electric vehicles. A sharp tightening of the market for lithium,...
Chile is set to open an exploration tender for around 400,000 tonnes of lithium as it looks to boost its flatlining production levels for the valuable battery metal. The South American nation holds the world’s largest known lithium reserves and was a global leader in production...
Australian retail and industrials conglomerate Wesfarmers has confirmed it will proceed with a US$1.8 billion joint venture (JV) investment in the Mt Holland lithium project in Western Australia. Wesfarmers has committed to developing the mine and its associated Kwinana refinery in partnership with Chilean chemical giant...
Chilean lithium miner SQM has received environmental approval for the expansion of its lithium carbonate production plant, which will allow the company to boost its output of the valuable battery metal. Once completed, the US$400 million plant expansion will give Chinese-backed SQM the capacity to produce...
Chile Constitutional Court has rejected a lawsuit to block Chinese miner Tianqi Lithium’s acquisition of a US$4.1 billion stake in SQM, after the two global lithium heavyweights clashed over the deal. A suspension of the sale was lifted after a majority ruling found that the lawsuit...
Chile’s state copper commission Cochilco has revealed it expects the national mining industry to attract a total of US$65.75 billion in investment over the next 10 years. The projected investment sum will encompass 44 operations, with Cochilco referencing two new lithium mining projects, three copper and...
Chinese firm Ganfeng Lithium has purchased a 50% stake in the Cauchari-Olaroz project from Chilean lithium giant SQM in a deal worth US$87.5 million. The deal gives Ganfeng a 37.5% ownership in the brine project, located in Argentina’s Jujuy Province, with the remaining stake held by...
Australia is officially the largest producer of lithium in the world after overtaking Chile’s total output in 2017, according to data from United States Geological Survey (USGS). Australia produced 18,700 tonnes of lithium last year, most of which was sourced within the nation’s hard rock lithium...
Tesla has entered a three-year lithium supply deal with Australian miner Kidman Resources, who will provide refined lithium hydroxide to the electric vehicle manufacturer under the agreement. In a statement, Kidman said that the deal is structured on a fixed-price take-or-pay basis, meaning that Tesla will...
The government of Chile has appealed to antitrust regulators regarding an attempt by a Chinese firm to purchase a US$4 billion equity stake in the major Chilean lithium producer SQM. Chile development agency Corfo, which manages SQM’s lithium leases in the Salar de Atacama, filed a...