Las Vegas - "Enjoyed speaking at yesterday’s Fastmarkets Lithium Supply and Battery Raw Materials conference in Las Vegas about Mitra Chem’s iron-rich cathode innovations on multiple panels.
It has been amazing over the last decade to see the transformation of lithium chemicals from a niche industrial material to something that has entered the mainstream zeitgeist. However, the continued misunderstandings about lithium chemicals’ role in the explosive growth of electrification through reductive reasoning of this material against other commodities and specialty chemicals continues to drive under-investment.
The supply/demand balance, especially for Inflation Reduction Act compliant materials, looks increasingly tenuous. Those who can exercise discipline in their lithium chemicals supply strategy will ultimately win in this industry regardless of their position on the value chain.
Coincidentally, I was informed that this was my 9th year in a row attending this conference. In that time, we have already had 2 different “boom and bust” lithium chemicals pricing cycles. Uncertainty is the norm as the industry continues to grow at a breakneck pace, but the lack of viable substitutes means that lithium chemicals supply chains will continue dictating the pace of overall industry growth."
Comments