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the barrier","breaking-the-barrier","article/breaking-the-barrier",{"_uid":557,"date":558,"tags":559,"editor":560,"content":570,"excerpt":826,"featured":50,"reporter":827,"_editable":831,"component":832,"seo_title":553,"categories":833,"visibility":840,"author_company":49,"featured_image":841,"seo_description":826,"author_full_name":49,"author_job_title":49,"formattedDate":846,"formattedArticleDate":847},"da038432-7bcd-439a-a4f0-203984005f7e","2019-01-28 00:00",[],[561],{"slug":562,"name":563,"content":564},"matthew-bird","Matthew Bird",{"job_title":565,"image":566,"bio":568,"linkedin":569},"Senior Editor - Supply Chains & Data Visualisation",{"filename":567},"https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/512x512/14738033ec/matthew-bird.jpeg","Matthew writes, edits and produces content for Benchmark Intelligence and Benchmark Source across the whole mine to grid supply chain. He also acts as a liaison to the press. He has a PhD in electrochemistry from the University of Nottingham.","https://www.linkedin.com/in/birdmatthew/",{"type":571,"content":572},"doc",[573,580,589,594,603,608,613,622,627,632,637,642,647,652,657,662,670,675,680,685,694,702,707,715,720,726,734,742,750,761,766,771,776,783,788,796,801,806,811,816,821],{"type":574,"attrs":575,"content":576},"paragraph",{"textAlign":49},[577],{"text":578,"type":579},"2019 has broken and a defining year awaits.","text",{"type":574,"attrs":581,"content":582},{"textAlign":49},[583,585,587],{"text":584,"type":579},"This is the year where the team at ",{"text":586,"type":579},"Benchmark ",{"text":588,"type":579},"expects lithium ion battery cell production costs, at least from one producer, to finally drop below $100/kWh.",{"type":574,"attrs":590,"content":591},{"textAlign":49},[592],{"text":593,"type":579},"If Elon Musk’s 2016 prediction that this could be achieved by 2020 was deemed ambitious, it is now potentially one year ahead of schedule.",{"type":574,"attrs":595,"content":596},{"textAlign":49},[597,599,601],{"text":598,"type":579},"Lower prevailing lithium hydroxide prices together with lower cobalt prices will meet the scaling up of the world’s multi-gigawatt battery plants – or what ",{"text":600,"type":579},"Benchmark Minerals ",{"text":602,"type":579},"calls megafactories.",{"type":574,"attrs":604,"content":605},{"textAlign":49},[606],{"text":607,"type":579},"The relentless rise of the battery megafactories will help drive down manufacturing costs to reach the holy grail of $100 per kWh, the number widely deemed to be the tipping point for mass adoption of EVs.",{"type":574,"attrs":609,"content":610},{"textAlign":49},[611],{"text":612,"type":579},"And there appears to be enough battery capacity in the pipeline to satisfy demand.",{"type":574,"attrs":614,"content":615},{"textAlign":49},[616,618,620],{"text":617,"type":579},"For the first time, last October, ",{"text":619,"type":579},"Benchmark Minerals",{"text":621,"type":579},"’ Lithium ion Battery Megafactory Assessment ticked over 1TWh by 2028 – another barrier broken.",{"type":574,"attrs":623,"content":624},{"textAlign":49},[625],{"text":626,"type":579},"Today, our battery megafactory capacity tracker stands at 1.45 terawatt hours, which equates to 24 million pure electric mid-US-sized vehicles with a 60kWh battery pack.",{"type":574,"attrs":628,"content":629},{"textAlign":49},[630],{"text":631,"type":579},"That’s a lot of batteries, but we’re going to need more.",{"type":574,"attrs":633,"content":634},{"textAlign":49},[635],{"text":636,"type":579},"We’re not suggesting each plant will become active and meet full capacity, it’s possible only 70% of this capacity will be in production in 2028, but the statement of intent is clear and the bigger boys’ ambitions continue to grow.",{"type":574,"attrs":638,"content":639},{"textAlign":49},[640],{"text":641,"type":579},"In 2018, LG Chem led the way with an aggressive strategy to expand its cell capacity worldwide in four different locations. Their tier one peers, Samsung SDI and Panasonic, also announced intentions to expand beyond their current setup in a year of shortages for high quality cells.",{"type":574,"attrs":643,"content":644},{"textAlign":49},[645],{"text":646,"type":579},"Meanwhile in Nevada, Tesla and Panasonic proved that quality lithium ion batteries can indeed be made at a speed and scale that has not been",{"type":574,"attrs":648,"content":649},{"textAlign":49},[650],{"text":651,"type":579},"seen before, as their partnership broke the 20GWh capacity barrier at the Gigafactory.",{"type":574,"attrs":653,"content":654},{"textAlign":49},[655],{"text":656,"type":579},"There were also a whole host of other battery manufacturers dreaming big.",{"type":574,"attrs":658,"content":659},{"textAlign":49},[660],{"text":661,"type":579},"CATL, SK Innovation, BYD and AESC were not about to let the leading pack surge into an electric vehicle future without a fight: expansions and new plants in China, Europe and the US followed.",{"type":574,"attrs":663,"content":664},{"textAlign":49},[665,667,668],{"text":666,"type":579},"In total in 2018 we reached a new peak in battery-plants-in-the-pipeline of 68, which leaves us with a sense that this is just the start, not the end. When ",{"text":586,"type":579},{"text":669,"type":579},"started tracking these plants in 2014, the total was at 3.",{"type":574,"attrs":671,"content":672},{"textAlign":49},[673],{"text":674,"type":579},"It is likely that by 2040 the transport world, to be fully electrified, will need 10TWh of lithium ion batteries to be produced each year. And that is not taking into account the energy storage industry which could easily match this number should aggressive trends in energy storage and renewable energy continue.",{"type":574,"attrs":676,"content":677},{"textAlign":49},[678],{"text":679,"type":579},"We are entering a brave new world where breaking barriers is becoming the norm.",{"type":574,"attrs":681,"content":682},{"textAlign":49},[683],{"text":684,"type":579},"The game-changing nature of the ability to truly store and recall energy could one day sit in the same history books as the discovery of fire, the invention of the steam engine, and the widespread use of the combustion engine.",{"type":574,"attrs":686,"content":687},{"textAlign":49},[688,690,692],{"text":689,"type":579},"On that note, it is with pride that I reflect on the leading position that ",{"text":691,"type":579},"Benchmark Mineral Intelligence ",{"text":693,"type":579},"finds itself.",{"type":574,"attrs":695,"content":696},{"textAlign":49},[697,699,700],{"text":698,"type":579},"The variety of roles that ",{"text":600,"type":579},{"text":701,"type":579},"has developed represents each link in the lithium-ion-battery-to-EV supply chain. This has been a testament to our team members, the hard work they put in and the values they operate by.",{"type":574,"attrs":703,"content":704},{"textAlign":49},[705],{"text":706,"type":579},"Whether customers see us for our primary function as the world’s leading price reporting agency in the EV supply chain space, or as a data publisher and forecaster, or an analysis and advisory firm, the consistency, quality, and expertise with which we operate has no equal.",{"type":574,"attrs":708,"content":709},{"textAlign":49},[710,712,713],{"text":711,"type":579},"As a result, ",{"text":600,"type":579},{"text":714,"type":579},"grew by over three times in 2018 and continues to hire and launch new services in 2019.",{"type":574,"attrs":716,"content":717},{"textAlign":49},[718],{"text":719,"type":579},"Our number one position in the market was underlined when the London Metal Exchange (LME) put a tender out for a lithium price provider for a cash settled lithium contract.",{"type":574,"attrs":721,"content":722},{"textAlign":49},[723,724],{"text":600,"type":579},{"text":725,"type":579},"has been shortlisted in the final three from over ten price providers around the world.",{"type":574,"attrs":727,"content":728},{"textAlign":49},[729,731,732],{"text":730,"type":579},"Only subscribers had access to ",{"text":619,"type":579},{"text":733,"type":579},"’ lithium industry reference prices.",{"type":574,"attrs":735,"content":736},{"textAlign":49},[737,739,740],{"text":738,"type":579},"A final LME decision will be made in Q1 2019, but regardless of their decision, ",{"text":586,"type":579},{"text":741,"type":579},"holds the unique position of providing the industry’s reference price and will continue with our primary objective of helping the industry to use our prices in physical contracts.",{"type":574,"attrs":743,"content":744},{"textAlign":49},[745,747,748],{"text":746,"type":579},"Advising the world’s most important players on the many ways to use our lithium, cobalt, graphite and nickel prices in contracts is what ",{"text":600,"type":579},{"text":749,"type":579},"has always been about.",{"type":574,"attrs":751,"content":752},{"textAlign":49},[753,755,756,758,759],{"text":754,"type":579},"While we produce the lithium reference price – used in supply chain negotiations – we want to produce the lithium benchmark price, and for it to be consistently used and referenced in written contracts. It is why ",{"text":586,"type":579},{"text":757,"type":579},"was named ",{"text":586,"type":579},{"text":760,"type":579},"in 2014.",{"type":574,"attrs":762,"content":763},{"textAlign":49},[764],{"text":765,"type":579},"This has never been done before and we are very close to breaking this barrier.",{"type":574,"attrs":767,"content":768},{"textAlign":49},[769],{"text":770,"type":579},"Back in 2006 when I started in the lithium publishing space, I could not have envisaged this landscape.",{"type":574,"attrs":772,"content":773},{"textAlign":49},[774],{"text":775,"type":579},"We have tried so hard to create a global community that actually helps one another for the greater good of the supply chain and that is why it is such a pleasure to see our World Tour grow significantly, through new cities such as Chicago, US or Sydney, Australia.",{"type":574,"attrs":777,"content":778},{"textAlign":49},[779,781],{"text":780,"type":579},"Benchmark Minerals Week ",{"text":782,"type":579},"has become our annual centrepiece conference, with over 350 attendees last year.",{"type":574,"attrs":784,"content":785},{"textAlign":49},[786],{"text":787,"type":579},"The combination of our Graphite + Anodes Conference and Cathodes Conference together in one week along with a field trip to the upcoming EV producer, Thor Trucks (cover image) made this week a must attend for decision makers in the lithium ion to EV supply chain.",{"type":574,"attrs":789,"content":790},{"textAlign":49},[791,793,794],{"text":792,"type":579},"For the first time, 2018 was the year that the ",{"text":619,"type":579},{"text":795,"type":579},"’ blueprint, which we had envisaged four years ago, was complete.",{"type":574,"attrs":797,"content":798},{"textAlign":49},[799],{"text":800,"type":579},"We had established three clear and functioning divisions – Price Assessments, Forecasts and Consultancy, and Events – from scratch and with zero outside investment.",{"type":574,"attrs":802,"content":803},{"textAlign":49},[804],{"text":805,"type":579},"It is a pleasure to sit here today and say that these divisions can offer the world’s best:",{"type":574,"attrs":807,"content":808},{"textAlign":49},[809],{"text":810,"type":579},"And just like every previous year, the Benchmark team will be there in person to celebrate another barrier breaking year.",{"type":574,"attrs":812,"content":813},{"textAlign":49},[814],{"text":815,"type":579},"Travel safe",{"type":574,"attrs":817,"content":818},{"textAlign":49},[819],{"text":820,"type":579},"Simon Moores,",{"type":574,"attrs":822,"content":823},{"textAlign":49},[824],{"text":825,"type":579},"Managing Director, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence","2019 has broken and a defining year awaits. This is the year where the team at Benchmark expects lithium ion battery cell production costs, at least from one producer, to finally drop below $100/kWh. If Elon Musk’s 2016 prediction that this could be achieved by 2020 was deemed ambitious, it is now potentially one year […]",[828],{"slug":562,"name":563,"content":829},{"job_title":565,"image":830,"bio":568,"linkedin":569},{"filename":567},"\u003C!--#storyblok#{\"name\": \"article\", \"space\": \"\", \"uid\": \"da038432-7bcd-439a-a4f0-203984005f7e\", \"id\": \"\"}-->","article",[834,837],{"slug":835,"name":836},"batteries","Batteries",{"slug":838,"name":839},"critical-minerals","Critical Minerals","private",{"id":49,"alt":842,"name":842,"focus":842,"title":842,"source":842,"filename":843,"copyright":842,"fieldtype":844,"meta_data":845,"is_external_url":51},"","https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/a72615b1fe/bm-istock-943374898.jpg","asset",{"alt":842,"title":842,"source":842,"copyright":842},"Jan 28, 2019","28th January 2019",[],[],1792773943379]