Latest Update in the SMM Lithium Battery Cathode Precursor and Material Market

The Western Australian (WA) government announced an A$150 million rescue package to sustain the state’s lithium sector.

SK On signed a three-year agreement with POSCO Pilbara Lithium Solution to secure up to 15,000 tons of domestically produced lithium hydroxide.

Bolivia's government has signed a US$1 billion agreement with the Chinese CBC consortium, including battery giant CATL, to construct two direct lithium extraction (DLE) plants in the Uyuni salt flats, part of the lithium triangle shared with Chile and Argentina.

Portuguese energy company Galp has officially canceled its €1 billion Aurora lithium refinery in Setúbal, a project that was poised to process 35,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium hydroxide annually after 2026.

A full-tab battery cell (also known as a tabless design) refers to a design that ingeniously uses the entire tail of the current collector as the tab. Through the cover plate (current collector plate) structure design, the tab conduction area and the connection area at the connection point are increased, and the tab conduction distance is shortened. The internal resistance of a full-tab battery is reduced by approximately 70% compared to traditional batteries, the high-current discharge temperature is reduced by 35%, and the cycle life is improved by 100% compared to traditional batteries. It also supports continuous discharge at a maximum current of 100A, pulse discharge at 200A, and the extremely low internal resistance supports superfast charging performance at a 5C charge/discharge rate, achieving 80% SOC superfast charging in 10 minutes.

[SMM Analysis: Changes in LiPF6 Prices in November] The price of LiPF6 increased 6.7% MoM in November.

Recently, a new report from Goldman Sachs showed that at the battery pack level, the global average battery price has dropped from $153/kWh in 2022 to $149/kWh in 2023.

SMM, Nov 29: Recently, the price fluctuations of LFP have been mainly influenced by the lithium carbonate market.