Friday, 7 July 2017

Energy rEVolution And Lithium Race: Tesla To Supply World's Biggest Lithium Battery System For South Australia.

Elon Musk's dream to power the world with lithium batteries is getting into the reality by the day with every new Energy Storage System (ESS) installation being completed across the globe. ESS will be consuming more lithium batteries capacity than electric cars in time and will make Solar and Wind Power Generation not the alternative but the main sources of energy. Below are some links to make your own research.

Today Tesla Model 3 is going into production officially and it will be the most important product launch in all our electric cars history. We are entering the mass market stage for electric cars and ESS exponential growth is next.

International Energy Agency: In Order To Limit Temperature Increase Below 2º C The Number Of Electric Cars Needs To Reach 600 Million By 2040.

"The cost of lithium batteries is going down very fast and I believe that fully electric cars will rule the world very soon. Tesla Model 3 with 65 kWh lithium battery provides over 200 miles of range and will become the standard in the industry with its mass volume production from this July. There is around 60 kg of LCE (Lithium Carbonate Equivalent) in one Tesla Model 3 battery. We will need 36 Million Tonnes of LCE to be produced by 2040 to put this IEA plan into life.
To put it into perspective, the total lithium production last year was around 200,000 T of LCE. Now you can better understand why there is the real cut throat competition for the security of lithium supply which is still hidden from the most of the people by the clouds of toxic cancer hazard fumes emitted by all DIEsel cars on our roads. ICE (Internal Combustion Engines) are on the way out, all cars will be electric very soon and we are facing the total disconnect between the coming demand for lithium and the available supply. Read more."

Tesla's Energy rEVolution: Elon Musk’s Grand Plan To Power The World With Batteries.

Elon Musk TED Talk: We Need 100 Gigafactories To Go 100% Renewable Energy And Tesla Will Announce 3 or 4 This Year.

Elon Musk was making his Ted talk recently in Vancouver and you can experience his ability to distort reality in our Lithium Universe first hand. Among very many mind-boggling ideas he reiterated that we will need 100 Tesla Gigafactories to move to 100% Renewable Energy for the whole world and Tesla will announce 3 or 4 new Gigafctories this year!

Gigafactory 1 has tripled its production goal to over 100 GWh per year and China has announced to add more than 120 GWh production capacity per year as well. Security of Lithium Supply becomes the major competitive advantage for all major players in this phase of Energy rEVolution which is going into the mass market exponential growth stage with electric cars and Energy Storage Systems. Read more.

Tesla Officials Visit Argentina’s Governor Of Salta For Solar And Storage Projects And Sourcing Lithium.

ElectTrek reports that "salt on the salad'": this is how Elon Musk has described lithium before - must be very important for Tesla's digestive system after all. I am writing here extensively about the coming control of the Lithium supply by Chinese companies who are very aggressively buying all the best lithium projects worldwide. It is very difficult to pretend anymore that any lithium will be coming from any signed by Tesla agreements with some junior miners in the nearest future. Lithium cathode is still produced by Panasonic for Tesla Gigafactory. Read more

Another part of this story is the rising price of lithium in China again. Last year we have seen only 14% rise in lithium supply and prices have increased by 74%. In December, Benchmark Minerals has reported that LCE (Lithium Carbonate Equivalent) was priced below $15k/T and Lithium Hydroxide (the particular lithium based chemical which is used in Tesla batteries) was around $18k/T. Last week I have received reports that in Shanghai LCE was priced at $18k/T and Lithium Hydroxide was at $22k/T. Today there are reports that LCE is already pushing $19k/T. It is all happening just before 4 major Lithium batteries Megafactories will be coming online in China this year and Tesla will move into the mass market stage with the production launch of Tesla Model 3 in July.

As you know, I have been preaching for years that security of lithium supply will be the most important factor determining the competitive advantage among different producers of critical raw materials for the Energy rEVolution. This Lithium Race will have the very far-reaching geopolitical implications. Now it looks like that Tesla is realizing that there is no secure supply of lithium for its massive expansion of operations from the underneath of Gigafactory floor in Nevada. Even if Panasonic is producing cathode for lithium cells which are made at Tesla Gigafactory in Nevada the supply chain is going all over the globe and back to China.

The real test to the market and supply chains for Energy rEVolution will come with the coming tide of Electric Cars and the following tsunami of Energy Storage. Bloomberg has recently reported that there will be more than 120 models of electric cars by 2020 and you should not be surprised as we have discussed here before that there are more than 70 models of electric cars on sale in China already. The next few years will determine who will have the keys to the new Energy rEVolution and control the supply chains. Hungry Dragons are flying high already and mostly in China, the question remains who and how will feed them without fear of being burnt in the process.

International Lithium And Ganfeng Mariana Lithium JV Exploration Target And Indicated Resource Of 1.25 M T of LCE.

Exploration target at Mariana Lithium, Argentina.

International Lithium NI 43-101 report.

Kirill Klip, Executive Chairman of ILC stated, "We are very pleased with the results of the maiden resource estimation at the Mariana lithium potash brine project, together with our strategic partner Ganfeng Lithium. This project is now moving from an early exploration stage to an advanced exploration stage where it will be more easily compared to other lithium brine projects in Argentina. We are looking forward to follow up with Ganfeng Lithium on the recommendations of this report in order to ensure the rapid advancement of the project towards the pilot stage and to conduct further feasibility studies that will investigate the economic viability of the Mariana project."

LEGAL DISCLAIMER

Thursday, 6 July 2017

Lithium Race: Daimler Announces $740 Million Battery Factory In China For Mercedes-Benz’s EVs.

We are finally moving into the mass market stage for EVs and related news is coming from all over the world. ElecTreck reports that Daimler is now announcing a new $740 million lithium battery factory in China. This project is a part of Daimler's new investments in JV with BAIC to build electric cars in China. Major automakers are not only decisively moving to electric cars like Volvo, but are trying to get a foothold in the largest auto market in the world in China. This announcement comes after we have learned about Tesla's negotiations in Shanghai to establish its own Gigafactory in China.

Electric cars are coming much faster than a lot of people are anticipating it and lithium supply chains will be under pressure from the demand side. There are reports already that lithium battery packs are in short supply and this rising demand for batteries will be driving the demand for lithium raw material supply. We have a total disconnect in the marketplace between exponential growth in EVs and ESS adoption rates and capital available to develop new lithium production. M&A will be an answer for some aggressive market players like Chinese, who are accumulating lithium assets all over the world now. After SQM news we are entering the new phase for the assessment of all M&A opportunities in the lithium sector.

The Switch And Lithium Race: Tesla Has Reached An Accord With Shanghai To Explore Production In China.

It is happening! Tesla comes to China, now the security of lithium supply will be in the headlines for the rest of the summer. We are at the tipping point for the lithium industry, the supply is not there to accommodate the exponential growth in EVs and Energy Storage space. Read more.

Awakening: Tesla Model 3 And The Hot Summer 2017 For The Lithium Supply Chain.

"Very slowly Lithium Industry is starting to get some attention from the investment crowd, but the real awakening is still ahead of us. This summer will be very hot for the lithium supply chain, and the first real test is coming. Tesla Gigafactory will start mass production of Tesla Model 3 batteries in July and 4 Lithium Megafactories are coming online in China.

Ganfeng Lithium has made a very interesting public disclosure in China about SQM "stopping a supply of Lithium Brine to Ganfeng in June". It is very difficult to judge the scope of this interruption in the lithium supply chain for Ganfeng at this moment, its reasons and when the situation will normalize, but the message is clear - the security of lithium supply is the critical issue for all the major players in this exponentially growing market. And the real test is still ahead of us, the auto industry is still talking about 5% - 10% - 15% of electric cars in total auto sales, but what will happen when all cars will be electric after 2025? Read more.

ElecTreck:

Daimler announces new $740 million battery factory in China for Mercedes-Benz’s EVs

Wednesday, 5 July 2017

Lithium Race: Volvo Cars Strong Commitment To Electrification - From 2019 All Volvo Cars Will Be With Electric Powertrains.

This is the great news and I do hope that they know what they are talking about at Volvo. Either they have totally missed Tesla or they are thinking that Tesla Motors is not a premium car maker. But jokes aside, this is another major development in our electric space from another now Chinese-owned automaker.

Volvo is committing to all cars from 2019 with electric powertrains. They will be either fully electric or hybrids. Lithium battery prices are going down so fast that hybrid technology will become obsolete in the next few years. It can happen exactly when Volvo is going to make at least 5 pure electric model and 1 million in sales by 2025.

Electric cars are coming much faster than a lot of people are anticipating it. Lithium is at the very heart of this Energy rEVolution. International Lithium is plugged into the very dynamic EVs and Energy Storage markets in China with its holdings in JV projects with Ganfeng Lithium, a giant from China.

The Switch And Lithium Race: Electric Boom - Dozens EV Models Available Through 2020.

Miles of electric range.

Source: Bloomberg New Energy Finance

This is when one picture is better than thousand words. Electric Cars are coming. The Switch is here. Enjoy. And if you are missing words, they are below with links for your further research to find out for yourself why all cars will be electric and much faster than a lot of people anticipate it.

Lithium is the magic metal at the very heart of this Energy rEVolution and International Lithium is Lithium Strategic Investments and Royalty Company which is plugged-in the most dynamic EV and Energy Storage markets in China with partners like a giant from China Ganfeng Lithium. Read more.

Source: Bloomberg New Energy Finance

Lithium Race And The Coming Tide Of Electric Cars: Tesla Has Now 8 Vehicle Programs In The Works.

The next generation of Tesla Roadster.

Electrek reports about 8 electric vehicles in the works at Tesla and now you can better understand what I call the coming tide of Electric Cars. China is investing billions of dollars in The New Energy Plan creating its leapfrog into the post carbon economy by building the manufacturing base for the 21st century based on renewable energy and electric cars. Elon Musk has made electric cars unstoppable in the West almost alone - just compare the state level support in China with their military discipline to secure the full supply chain for Energy rEVolution and constant cry from auto lobbyists and Big Oil in the West.

Tesla is still way ahead of any closest competitors in the EV space. Elon Musk made it in a silicon valley style: get big fast and go online. His very bold move with Gigafactory is slashing lithium battery costs down and Chinese companies are mimicking it with their Lithium Megafactories. And Tesla's ability to collect data online from billions of miles driven by its electric cars and update them as our mobile phones has made a dramatic reduction in time and cost of EV R&D possible. That is why China is already flexing its financial muscles to get Tesla inland with "Chinese Facebook" Tencent taking 5% stake in the company recently. So do we still have a chance not to hold that bag after Energy rEVolution will claim its victims after all?

International Lithium And Ganfeng Mariana Lithium JV Exploration Target And Indicated Resource Of 1.25 M T of LCE.

Lithium Race: China Private Equity Player GSR Eyes Stake In $9 Billion Chilean Lithium Miner SQM.

CNBC reports that China continues to accumulate lithium assets. Ganfeng Lithium and Tianqi were both dancing around SQM stake before, now Ganfeng Lithium has closed its deal with Lithium Americas where they have a JV with SQM in Argentina. Security of lithium supply is the most important now for all lithium chemicals producers. We have only a few solid new lithium projects coming online and this kind of M&A will bring the attention to the lithium sector and provide the reassessment of the valuations for the projects with the strong backers. International Lithium is plugged into the very dynamic EVs and Energy Storage markets in China with its holdings in JV projects with Ganfeng Lithium, a giant from China. Finally, some buying volume is coming back into the market of lithium junior miners, investors are getting the message.

Tesla Officials Visit Argentina’s Governor Of Salta For Solar And Storage Projects And Sourcing Lithium.

CNBC:

China private equity player GSR eyes stake in $9 billion Chilean lithium miner SQM

China private-equity player GSR Capital is aiming to buy as much as 20 percent in SQM, one of the world's biggest lithium producers, sources said.
GSR, an investor in clean technology and electric cars, met the Chilean government in April to discuss the potential purchase and was now moving towards a deal, the sources said.

"Chinese private equity firm GSR Capital is looking to buy a substantial holding in Chile's Sociedad Quimica Y Minera (SQM), one of the world's biggest lithium producers, according to two sources with knowledge of the matter.

GSR could buy a stake of around 20 percent - worth just under $1.9 billion at current market values, one of the sources said, but added there was no firm agreement.

SQM is one of just a handful of established lithium miners globally and a Chinese investment would go hand in glove with an electric car boom in the world's biggest auto market.

Beijing is aggressively promoting the vehicles to combat air pollution and as a means for the domestic car industry to compete with foreign rivals that have decades more experience in internal combustion engines.

The sources said GSR, which has invested in clean technology and electric cars, met the Chilean government in April to discuss the potential purchase and was now moving towards a deal.

A Chilean government transparency web site reported two GSR representatives met Eduardo Bitran, the head of the government development agency Corfo that manages the nation's lithium leases, on April 24.

An SQM representative declined to comment. GSR did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The sources did not specify who would sell the shares to GSR, but Julio Ponce, former chairman and one-time son-in-law of Chilean ex-dictator Augusto Pinochet, has previously tried to sell part of his interest in SQM. That process ended in late 2016 after offers fell short.

Suitors then included Ningbo Shanshan, a Chinese manufacturer of lithium battery materials. Canada's Potash Corp was also seen as a potential buyer.

According to a presentation on SQM's website, Ponce's holding firm Pampa Calichera and Japanese trading and chemicals firm Kowa, who have a joint voting pact, together owned a 32 percent stake in SQM as of the end of March 2017. Potash also owns 32 percent.

Potash declined to comment. Reuters was not able to reach Ponce for comment, but a source with knowledge of Pampa Calichera said he was not aware of the potential stake purchase. Kowa did not have immediate comment.

SQM, which has access to vast mineral reserves in the so-called 'lithium triangle' in Chile and Argentina, said in May it was planning to expand production as lithium demand continues to rocket on the back of its increased use in electric vehicles and mobile phones.

GSR, currently managing a $5 billion M&A fund, mainly targets foreign industrial and emerging technology companies, including electric car batteries and pharmaceuticals firms. It is in talks to buy control of a Nissan Motor rechargeable battery unit for about $1 billion, media have reported

GSR was also involved in a Chinese consortium to take over Italian football club AC Milan last year, but dropped out before the deal was signed, sources said at the time.

It grabbed headlines in 2015 when it teamed up with other investors to buy Philips's lighting component unit for $2.8 billion, a deal later blocked by a U.S. foreign investment panel on security grounds."

Monday, 3 July 2017

Lithium Race: First Production Tesla Model 3 Expected Friday - 20,000 Per Month By December.

It is happening, they are coming! Elon Musk has announced this weekend that Model 3 has passed all regulatory requirements and the first production Tesla Model 3 is expected this Friday. Production will be ramping up to 20,000 per month by December. We are talking here about 240,000 Tesla Model 3 per year at this rate already to be achieved in 2017! We are entering the mass market stage for electric cars.

Lithium is at the very heart of this Energy rEVolution. International Lithium is plugged into the very dynamic EVs and Energy Storage markets in China with its holdings in JV projects with Ganfeng Lithium, a giant from China.

International Energy Agency: In Order To Limit Temperature Increase Below 2º C The Number Of Electric Cars Needs To Reach 600 Million By 2040.

"The cost of lithium batteries is going down very fast and I believe that fully electric cars will rule the world very soon. Tesla Model 3 with 65 kWh lithium battery provides over 200 miles of range and will become the standard in the industry with its mass volume production from this July. There is around 60 kg of LCE (Lithium Carbonate Equivalent) in one Tesla Model 3 battery. We will need 36 Million Tonnes of LCE to be produced by 2040 to put this IEA plan into life.
To put it into perspective, the total lithium production last year was around 200,000 T of LCE. Now you can better understand why there is the real cut throat competition for the security of lithium supply which is still hidden from the most of the people by the clouds of toxic cancer hazard fumes emitted by all DIEsel cars on our roads. ICE (Internal Combustion Engines) are on the way out, all cars will be electric very soon and we are facing the total disconnect between the coming demand for lithium and the available supply. Read more."

Back Into The Future - Lithium Will Power Us For The Next 50 Years And Then Robots.

The Verge:

First production Tesla Model 3 expected Friday, Elon Musk says

Lithium Race: The Switch Is Happening Now - Electric Cars Arriving Faster Than Anticipated.

The Switch is happening now. The Tide of Electric Cars is coming onto our streets. I used to call it "The iPod Moment", now we have a better picture to show us what is coming. Smartphones were more expensive than normal phones, but they took over the market like a storm. The demand was there: customers who were willing tp pay for the access to everything on the go and under their fingertips. The same will happen with electric cars: demand is there and millions will be ready to pay for "Mobility Pay As You Go". When will Elon Musk introduce EVs with "Pay As You Go" scheme to finish ICE cars with just one new business model move? And this is what happens in our industry feeding the Hungry Dragons which are flying high over China mostly. Lithium Race is for real now. Read more.

International Lithium And Ganfeng Mariana Lithium JV Exploration Target And Indicated Resource Of 1.25 M T of LCE.

Lithium Race: Tesla Model 3 Is The Best Of 12 Cheapest Electric Cars On Sale In 2017.

Tesla Model 3 will change everything for electric cars. The Switch will be happening when millions of people will be buying electric cars. Now we are very close to this stage. The best electric cars are becoming more and more affordable for the masses. Watch the video.

Electric rEVolution: Lithium Race Goes Ludicrous Mode With GM Bolt And Tesla Model 3 Production Starting in July!

Kirill Klip, Chairman, President and CEO, International Lithium Corp.

The real electric cars are finally coming on our streets. Stage one of The Tide is coming with two Electric Vehicles (EVs) in the West to start mass-market adoption phase: GM Bolt and Tesla Model 3. Both electric cars are priced below $40,000 and give you more than 200 miles range. The Switch will happen when millions of people will be buying electric cars instead of ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) ones. The demand for Mobility is already here, all we have to do is to make EVs better and cheaper than cancer hazard polluting ICE ones. Then millions of customers will start The Switch literally. Read more.