| Click on blue article title to read full story. | | | | Cobalt | | | | Unknown - April 11, 2018 Korean battery major LG Chem and China’s Huayou Cobalt have announced a huge deal to launching two plants that will have a significant bearing on the lithium ion battery industry’s cathode direction. The partnership will see a 40,000 tpa lithium ion battery precursor plant and a 40,000 tpa cathode plant being constructed within China over the next 18 months. Both are being installed with a capacity expansion to 100,000 tpa each in mind…It is the world’s most significant deal between raw material miner and lithium ion battery manufacturer to date…The total investment is in excessive of $440m and lays out the formation of two separate joint-venture companies…The announcement states that the plants will be largely equipped to produce both nickel cobalt manganese (NCM) and nickel cobalt aluminium (NCA) technologies…To put the size of the deal into perspective, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence estimates that in 2017 Umicore was the world’s largest cathode maker producing 24,000 tonnes of material…The plant is also one of 30 lithium ion battery megafactories that Benchmark Mineral Intelligence is tracking…The cobalt deal confirms that downstream companies such as LG Chem are more and more concerned with securing a reliable source of raw materials, and in order to meet their expected future demand they are prepared to invest and become vertically integrated in the value chain. | | Unknown - April 11, 2018 SEOUL, April 11 (Yonhap) -- LG Chem Ltd., South Korea's top chemicals company, said Wednesday that it has decided to invest 239.4 billion won (US$224.8 million) in two separate joint ventures with Huayou Cobalt Co., a Chinese supplier of the mineral. The deal underscored LG Chem's efforts to secure a stable supply of cobalt, a key material in making electric vehicle (EV) batteries…The two joint ventures -- set to be completed in China by 2020 -- will have an annual production capacity of 40,000 tons of precursors and cathodes, respectively, an amount that can make batteries for about 400,000 EVs…Currently, the South Korean company is a key supplier of batteries to U.S. auto giant General Motors, Volvo and Renault, as well as South Korea's largest carmaker, Hyundai Motor Co., and its smaller affiliate, Kia Motors Corp…Also Wednesday, SK Innovation said it has clinched a deal with Australian Mines, a supplier of battery and technology metals, to secure a stable supply of cobalt sulfate and nickel sulfate, the two key ingredients in making batteries. Under the seven-year deal signed in February, SK Innovation said it can import 12,000 tons of cobalt sulfate and 60,000 tons of nickel sulfate, beginning in 2020. The deal can be extended by an additional six years. | | Pulse by Maeil Business News - April 11, 2018 South Korean battery maker SK Innovation Co. said on Wednesday that it has signed a long-term purchase agreement with battery and... raw material and defend competitiveness in battery-making against fluctuating price of cobalt sulfate. The price of cobalt sulfate - a key It is the first time for the country’s leading lithium-ion battery manufacturer to forge a direct, long-term deal with an overseas supplier of raw materials used in the production of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles…Under the agreement, SK Innovation will receive an annual 12,000 tons in cobalt sulfate and 60,000 tons in nickel sulfate produced in Queensland from Australian Mines starting 2020. The supply volume would account for about 90 percent of SK Innovation’s cobalt sulfate purchase to run its battery operations. The seven-year contract offers the option to extend another six years, allowing stable supply of up to 13 years…An unnamed official from SK Innovation said that the latest long-term deal will ensure stable supply of key raw material and defend competitiveness in battery-making against fluctuating price of cobalt sulfate. | | Nikkei Asian Review - April 10, 2018 South Korean company aims to secure supply for EV lithium-ion batteries two joint ventures with a Chinese supplier of cobalt products to produce materials for lithium-ion batteries in order to meet growing demand The company's plan is to strengthen its cost competitiveness by securing raw materials…The deal also comes amid a global trend of companies trying to secure cobalt supplies in the face of rising prices and demand. In March, Chinese battery material manufacturer GEM signed a long-term supply agreement with Swiss cobalt producer Glencore. | | | | | EVs & Energy Storage | | | | LondonLovesBusiness.com - April 11, 2018 Here’s what you need to know Automakers remain heavily reliant on a small number of countries for the raw materials required in EV batteries, with the DRC producing over 80 per cent of global cobalt exports. Political instability in the country has created uncertainty over the investment environment for new operations, and the prospect of political interference also looms large – especially in light of a new mining code agreed last month which will double the DRC government’s stake in mining projects…Matt Grimwade, Head of Automotive at JLT Specialty, said: ‘The fact that the auto industry, along with society more generally, continues to speed towards an electric vehicle future is not without its dangers. The overwhelming reliance on raw materials from high risk regions for EV battery production represents a major threat of disruption to supply and poses a business-critical risk to manufacturers. The risk is real and growing, and it is imperative that automakers take the necessary steps to mitigate and protect from a potential supply chain catastrophe | | Express.co.uk - April 11, 2018 A BAN of petrol and diesel cars in East London will go ahead later this year after a proposal was approved. rules will face fines of up to £130. Only hybrid, electric and hydrogen cars along with bicycles will be able to access these roads. The Petrol and diesel cars will be banned in certain areas of East London later this year. From July 2018, petrol and diesel cars will face restrictions during peak hours in parts of East London…Under the scheme these cars will not be able to access these roads between the hours of 7am and 10am and 4pm and 7pm…Drivers caught flouting the rules will face fines of up to £130. Only hybrid, electric and hydrogen cars along with bicycles will be able to access these roads…The streets around Shoreditch suffer from some of the worst air quality in London | | Climate Action Programme - April 11, 2018 BP has announced it will work with Tesla on a new pilot battery storage project at one of its US wind farms. Tesla will supply the... in the global energy transition.” Co-locating battery storage with renewable projects is becoming increasingly popular within the energy Tesla will supply the petroleum company with a small 212 kilowatt battery (840 kilowatt hours) which will help the wind farm with its internal electricity needs when the wind isn’t blowing…The Titan 1 wind farm, located in rural South Dakota, comprises of 10 turbines with a maximum capacity of 25 megawatts…It is hoped the project will provide lessons for BP to develop more advanced battery storage at other wind and solar farms in the future…The investment forms part of BP’s strategy to invest $500 million a year into low-carbon technologies. Last year, it acquired 43 percent of British solar developer Lightsource, at a cost of $200 million…Co-locating battery storage with renewable projects is becoming increasingly popular within the energy industry. Norway’s Statoil is using storage at its first floating offshore wind farm off the coast of Scotland to “mitigate intermittency and optimise output”, according to the company. | | | | |