Does lithium have a future?

A Critical Element

Lithium is integral to the realization of decarbonization goals and the sustainable future that is being built around the world. Already omnipresent in consumer electronics, lithium-ion batteries are powering electric vehicles and being used as energy storage for renewables.

Is lithium a good investment now?

Lithium is ALB's biggest line of business, accounting for just over half of the company's revenue. The company has grown its sales by 30.8% over the last year. EPS in 2022 is expected to be up 428.2% year over year.

What is the future demand of lithium?

7 billion in 2022 to as much as $US15. 7 billion in 2027. Albemarle raised its forecasts for lithium demand by about 15 per cent, suggesting the world would consume 1.8 million tonnes of the commodity (lithium carbonate equivalent) in 2025 and 3.7 million tonnes in 2030.

Will the world run out of lithium?

U.S. geological survey the world is getting better at mining battery metals including lithium. As of 2021, it was estimated that the world had 88 million tonnes of lithium resources.

What technology will replace lithium?

Sodium-ion batteries also swerve sharply from lithium-ion chemistries common today. These batteries have a design similar to that of lithium-ion batteries, including a liquid electrolyte, but instead of relying on lithium, they use sodium as the main chemical ingredient.

From smartphones to e-cars - How important is the lithium-ion battery? | DW Documentary

Is Tesla moving away from lithium?

Tesla is changing the battery cell chemistry that it uses in its standard range vehicles, the automaker said Wednesday in its third-quarter investor deck. The new batteries will use a lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) chemistry rather than nickel-cobalt-aluminum which Tesla will continue to use in its longer-range vehicles.

What year will lithium run out?

Even though the price of lithium has surged more than tenfold over the past two years, there's enough capacity to meet anticipated demand until around 2025—and potentially through 2030 if enough recycling operations come online. After that, chronic shortages are expected.

Are lithium mines destroying Earth?

The demand for lithium for EV batteries is driving a mining boom in an arid Andes region of Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia, home to half the world's reserves. Hydrologists are warning the mines could drain vital ecosystems and deprive Indigenous communities of precious water.

Is lithium mining worse than oil drilling?

Lithium mining does have an environmental impact, but it is no worse than oil drilling. This is especially true when you consider the carbon emissions produced from petroleum products during their usage, as compared to lithium-ion batteries that have little to no GHG emissions during their use.

Which country has the most untapped lithium?

World lithium reserves 2022, by country. In 2022, reserves of lithium in Chile amounted to an estimated 9.3 million metric tons, the largest worldwide. That same year, the United States had total lithium reserves of approximately one million metric tons.

Is the lithium boom over?

The global lithium market is emerging at a rapid rate with the potential to be worth $182.53 billion by 2030. According to Grand View Research it is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 18.1 per cent from 2022 to 2030.

Will lithium prices crash?

Goldman expects lithium carbonate prices to fall to $US53,000 a tonne in 2023 before plunging to $US11,000/t in 2024 and 2025, and lithium hydroxide prices to ease to $US58,650/t and then $US12,500/t over the same period. Spodumene is also forecast to drop off to $US4330/t this year and $US800/t in 2024.

What is the best lithium stock to invest in?

Who does Tesla buy lithium from?

At the end of 2021, Tesla inked a fresh three year lithium supply deal with top lithium producer Ganfeng Lithium (OTC Pink:GNENF,SZSE:002460). The Chinese company will provide products to Tesla for three years starting from 2022.

Is lithium the new gold?

With the sale of new internal combustion vehicles to be banned in the European Union in 2035, lithium has become the new white gold for the energy transition.

Who are the top 3 lithium?

Take a look at our list of the world's top lithium producers by market cap. For a long time, most lithium was produced by an oligopoly of producers often referred to as the Big Three: Albemarle (NYSE:ALB), Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (SQM) (NYSE:SQM) and FMC (NYSE:FMC).

Where is lithium found in the United States?

The U.S.' only existing lithium producer is in Nevada, and the country holds an estimated 3.6% of global lithium reserves, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Can lithium be recycled instead of mined?

Most commonly, lithium batteries are recycled in large plants by a process of shredding the whole battery down to a powder. This powder is then either smelted (pyrometallurgy) or dissolved in acid (hydrometallurgy), thereby extracting the individual elements for resale.

How many tons of lithium does it take to make a car battery?

With the average electric car battery requiring roughly 8-10kg of the metal, lithium remains a crucial material in the transition to emission-free vehicles.

Why don't we mine lithium in the US?

Despite dozens of potential lithium mines in the United States and in Canada, most projects are in various stages of development and many are years away from production, particularly with environmental lawsuits delaying development due to multiple entry points for litigation in U.S. regulatory law.

What is the problem with lithium?

Why is lithium extraction bad for the environment? Any type of resource extraction is harmful to the planet. This is because removing these raw materials can result in soil degradation, water shortages, biodiversity loss, damage to ecosystem functions and an increase in global warming.

What would happen if we ran out of lithium?

An inability to produce enough lithium would result in severe delays to the roll out and implementation of electric transport and renewable power – as such, it is fair to question whether there is enough of the prized element to meet global needs.

Which country is rich in lithium?

Global figures, as per the US Geological Survey data, show that Bolivia has the highest 21 million tonnes of identified Lithium resources followed by 20 million tonnes in Argentina, 12 million tonnes in the US, 11 million tonnes in Chile, 7.9 million tonnes in Australia, 6.8 million tonnes in China, 5.9 million tonnes ...

Is lithium getting rare?

The IEA says the world could face lithium shortages by 2025.

How rare is lithium on earth?

Lithium is present in the earth's crust at 0.002–0.006 wt%. It is the 33rd most abundant element in nature and is distributed widely in trace amounts in rocks, soils, and surface, ground, and sea waters.