[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":686},["ShallowReactive",2],{"ticker-data":3,"story-article/lithiums-2021-price-rises-revive-expansion-plans":550},[4,52,82,112,150,187,231,263,298,334,376,416,458,491,520],{"publishedDate":5,"updateFrequency":6,"updateFrequencyText":7,"label":8,"today":9,"last":10,"percentageChange":11,"yearToDate":12,"yearOnYear":13,"oneYearIndexTrend":14,"url":48,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2026-09-02","2wk","Updated every 2 weeks","Lithium",385.07,372.67,3.33,64.75,118.67,[15,16,18,21,24,27,30,33,36,39,42,45],{"date":5,"value":9},{"date":17,"value":10},"2026-08-19",{"date":19,"value":20},"2026-08-05",367.54,{"date":22,"value":23},"2026-07-22",388.26,{"date":25,"value":26},"2026-07-08",399.4,{"date":28,"value":29},"2026-06-24",410.62,{"date":31,"value":32},"2026-06-10",427.77,{"date":34,"value":35},"2026-05-27",449.85,{"date":37,"value":38},"2026-05-13",451.12,{"date":40,"value":41},"2026-04-29",404.38,{"date":43,"value":44},"2026-04-15",354.35,{"date":46,"value":47},"2026-04-01",346.55,"/lithium/prices",null,false,true,{"publishedDate":5,"updateFrequency":6,"updateFrequencyText":7,"label":53,"today":54,"last":55,"percentageChange":56,"yearToDate":57,"yearOnYear":58,"oneYearIndexTrend":59,"url":48,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"Lithium Carbonate",306.07,297.22,2.98,20.51,61.74,[60,61,62,64,66,68,70,72,74,76,78,80],{"date":5,"value":54},{"date":17,"value":55},{"date":19,"value":63},296.63,{"date":22,"value":65},309.38,{"date":25,"value":67},317.2,{"date":28,"value":69},330.54,{"date":31,"value":71},346.5,{"date":34,"value":73},358.35,{"date":37,"value":75},350.28,{"date":40,"value":77},328.09,{"date":43,"value":79},381.25,{"date":46,"value":81},371.52,{"publishedDate":5,"updateFrequency":6,"updateFrequencyText":7,"label":83,"today":84,"last":85,"percentageChange":86,"yearToDate":87,"yearOnYear":88,"oneYearIndexTrend":89,"url":48,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"Lithium Hydroxide",352.45,341.12,3.32,73.42,126.69,[90,91,92,94,96,98,100,102,104,106,108,110],{"date":5,"value":84},{"date":17,"value":85},{"date":19,"value":93},337.87,{"date":22,"value":95},354.36,{"date":25,"value":97},364.06,{"date":28,"value":99},376.67,{"date":31,"value":101},393.29,{"date":34,"value":103},411.01,{"date":37,"value":105},408.51,{"date":40,"value":107},372.51,{"date":43,"value":109},316.95,{"date":46,"value":111},311.86,{"publishedDate":5,"updateFrequency":113,"updateFrequencyText":114,"label":115,"today":116,"last":117,"percentageChange":118,"yearToDate":119,"yearOnYear":120,"oneYearIndexTrend":121,"url":149,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"1wk","Updated every week","Cobalt",189.92,192.6,-1.39,-19.26,38.94,[122,123,125,127,130,131,134,136,139,141,144,146],{"date":5,"value":116},{"date":124,"value":117},"2026-08-26",{"date":17,"value":126},199.83,{"date":128,"value":129},"2026-08-12",217.25,{"date":19,"value":129},{"date":132,"value":133},"2026-07-29",221.25,{"date":22,"value":135},224.44,{"date":137,"value":138},"2026-07-15",223.01,{"date":25,"value":140},223.72,{"date":142,"value":143},"2026-07-01",218.73,{"date":28,"value":145},229.84,{"date":147,"value":148},"2026-06-17",239.97,"/cobalt/prices",{"publishedDate":151,"updateFrequency":6,"updateFrequencyText":7,"label":152,"today":153,"last":154,"percentageChange":155,"yearToDate":156,"yearOnYear":157,"oneYearIndexTrend":158,"url":186,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2026-09-09","Nickel",119.13,119.61,-0.4,-1.33,12.77,[159,160,161,163,165,167,169,171,174,177,180,183],{"date":151,"value":153},{"date":124,"value":154},{"date":128,"value":162},121.04,{"date":132,"value":164},121.19,{"date":137,"value":166},122.66,{"date":142,"value":168},125.61,{"date":147,"value":170},131.5,{"date":172,"value":173},"2026-06-03",134.65,{"date":175,"value":176},"2026-05-20",135.83,{"date":178,"value":179},"2026-05-06",133.76,{"date":181,"value":182},"2026-04-22",125.43,{"date":184,"value":185},"2026-04-08",124.51,"/nickel/prices",{"publishedDate":188,"updateFrequency":189,"updateFrequencyText":190,"label":191,"today":192,"last":193,"percentageChange":194,"yearToDate":195,"yearOnYear":196,"oneYearIndexTrend":197,"url":230,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2026-08-28","1mo","Updated every month","Natural Graphite",80.18,80.66,-0.6,-1.72,-1.7,[198,199,201,204,207,210,213,216,219,222,225,227],{"date":188,"value":192},{"date":200,"value":193},"2026-07-31",{"date":202,"value":203},"2026-06-30",82.87,{"date":205,"value":206},"2026-05-29",82.99,{"date":208,"value":209},"2026-04-30",82.93,{"date":211,"value":212},"2026-03-31",82.39,{"date":214,"value":215},"2026-02-27",81.92,{"date":217,"value":218},"2026-01-30",81.69,{"date":220,"value":221},"2025-12-31",81.58,{"date":223,"value":224},"2025-11-28",81.35,{"date":226,"value":224},"2025-10-31",{"date":228,"value":229},"2025-09-30",81.74,"/natural-graphite/prices",{"publishedDate":200,"updateFrequency":189,"updateFrequencyText":190,"label":232,"today":233,"last":234,"percentageChange":235,"yearToDate":236,"yearOnYear":237,"oneYearIndexTrend":238,"url":262,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"Anode Coke",81.86,80.54,1.63,9.96,16.35,[239,240,241,242,244,246,248,250,252,254,256,259],{"date":200,"value":233},{"date":202,"value":234},{"date":205,"value":234},{"date":208,"value":243},84.01,{"date":211,"value":245},79.79,{"date":214,"value":247},75.72,{"date":217,"value":249},74.61,{"date":220,"value":251},74.44,{"date":226,"value":253},72.75,{"date":228,"value":255},71.92,{"date":257,"value":258},"2025-08-29",71.46,{"date":260,"value":261},"2025-07-31",70.35,"/synthetic-graphite/prices",{"publishedDate":264,"updateFrequency":189,"updateFrequencyText":190,"label":265,"today":266,"last":266,"percentageChange":267,"yearToDate":268,"yearOnYear":269,"oneYearIndexTrend":270,"url":297,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2026-08-17","Anode",80.24,0,1.53,2.92,[271,272,273,275,278,280,283,285,287,289,292,295],{"date":264,"value":266},{"date":137,"value":266},{"date":274,"value":266},"2026-06-15",{"date":276,"value":277},"2026-05-15",79.16,{"date":43,"value":279},81.98,{"date":281,"value":282},"2026-03-16",79.03,{"date":284,"value":282},"2026-02-16",{"date":286,"value":282},"2026-01-15",{"date":288,"value":282},"2025-12-15",{"date":290,"value":291},"2025-11-17",77.79,{"date":293,"value":294},"2025-10-15",77.96,{"date":296,"value":294},"2025-09-15","/anode/prices",{"publishedDate":299,"updateFrequency":189,"updateFrequencyText":190,"label":300,"today":301,"last":302,"percentageChange":303,"yearToDate":304,"yearOnYear":305,"oneYearIndexTrend":306,"url":333,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2026-08-01","Cathode",73.32,77.21,-5.04,14.41,55.07,[307,308,309,312,315,317,320,323,325,327,329,331],{"date":299,"value":301},{"date":142,"value":302},{"date":310,"value":311},"2026-06-01",80.32,{"date":313,"value":314},"2026-05-01",81.71,{"date":46,"value":316},77.27,{"date":318,"value":319},"2026-03-01",81.99,{"date":321,"value":322},"2026-02-01",80.5,{"date":286,"value":324},72.79,{"date":288,"value":326},64.08,{"date":290,"value":328},62.01,{"date":293,"value":330},53.51,{"date":296,"value":332},49.5,"/cathode/prices",{"publishedDate":335,"updateFrequency":189,"updateFrequencyText":190,"label":336,"today":337,"last":338,"percentageChange":339,"yearToDate":340,"yearOnYear":341,"oneYearIndexTrend":342,"url":375,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2025-03-31","Lithium ion Batteries",74.53,71.3,4.53,-1.6,-20.88,[343,344,346,349,352,355,358,361,364,366,369,372],{"date":335,"value":337},{"date":345,"value":338},"2025-02-28",{"date":347,"value":348},"2025-01-31",71.45,{"date":350,"value":351},"2024-12-31",75.74,{"date":353,"value":354},"2024-11-29",76.98,{"date":356,"value":357},"2024-10-31",77.34,{"date":359,"value":360},"2024-09-30",77.43,{"date":362,"value":363},"2024-08-30",80.56,{"date":365,"value":206},"2024-07-31",{"date":367,"value":368},"2024-06-28",87.2,{"date":370,"value":371},"2024-05-31",90.7,{"date":373,"value":374},"2024-04-30",93.2,"/battery-gigafactory/prices",{"publishedDate":377,"updateFrequency":6,"updateFrequencyText":7,"label":378,"today":379,"last":380,"percentageChange":381,"yearToDate":382,"yearOnYear":383,"oneYearIndexTrend":384,"url":415,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2026-08-27","Black Mass",43.88,42.33,3.65,1.69,40.82,[385,386,388,391,394,397,400,403,405,407,409,412],{"date":377,"value":379},{"date":387,"value":380},"2026-08-13",{"date":389,"value":390},"2026-07-30",43.42,{"date":392,"value":393},"2026-07-16",46.74,{"date":395,"value":396},"2026-07-02",46.01,{"date":398,"value":399},"2026-06-18",49.57,{"date":401,"value":402},"2026-02-12",47.34,{"date":404,"value":399},"2026-01-29",{"date":286,"value":406},43.15,{"date":220,"value":408},47.05,{"date":410,"value":411},"2025-12-18",41.51,{"date":413,"value":414},"2025-12-04",40.81,"/recycling/black-mass-prices",{"publishedDate":417,"updateFrequency":189,"updateFrequencyText":190,"label":418,"today":419,"last":420,"percentageChange":421,"yearToDate":422,"yearOnYear":423,"oneYearIndexTrend":424,"url":457,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2026-09-03","Rare Earths",170.83,169.63,0.71,19.72,22.18,[425,426,428,431,434,437,440,443,446,449,451,454],{"date":417,"value":419},{"date":427,"value":420},"2026-08-20",{"date":429,"value":430},"2026-08-06",172.28,{"date":432,"value":433},"2026-07-23",173.94,{"date":435,"value":436},"2026-07-09",171.69,{"date":438,"value":439},"2026-06-25",168.55,{"date":441,"value":442},"2026-06-11",165,{"date":444,"value":445},"2026-05-28",163.89,{"date":447,"value":448},"2026-05-14",172.63,{"date":208,"value":450},175.6,{"date":452,"value":453},"2026-04-16",172.01,{"date":455,"value":456},"2026-04-02",165.47,"/rare-earths/prices",{"publishedDate":228,"updateFrequency":189,"updateFrequencyText":190,"label":459,"today":460,"last":461,"percentageChange":462,"yearToDate":463,"yearOnYear":464,"oneYearIndexTrend":465,"url":375,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"NCM Mid-Nickel",103.5,99.73,3.78,13.78,6.78,[466,467,468,470,473,476,479,481,483,485,487,489],{"date":228,"value":460},{"date":257,"value":461},{"date":260,"value":469},99.19,{"date":471,"value":472},"2025-06-30",96.02,{"date":474,"value":475},"2025-05-30",98.23,{"date":477,"value":478},"2025-04-30",99.24,{"date":335,"value":480},101.29,{"date":345,"value":482},87.61,{"date":347,"value":484},92.44,{"date":350,"value":486},90.96,{"date":353,"value":488},92.24,{"date":356,"value":490},95.09,{"publishedDate":228,"updateFrequency":189,"updateFrequencyText":190,"label":492,"today":493,"last":494,"percentageChange":495,"yearToDate":496,"yearOnYear":497,"oneYearIndexTrend":498,"url":375,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"NCM High-Nickel",99.44,96.91,2.61,2.37,-3.84,[499,500,501,503,505,507,509,511,513,515,516,518],{"date":228,"value":493},{"date":257,"value":494},{"date":260,"value":502},97.09,{"date":471,"value":504},94.93,{"date":474,"value":506},97.13,{"date":477,"value":508},97.89,{"date":335,"value":510},101.4,{"date":345,"value":512},93.25,{"date":347,"value":514},98.94,{"date":350,"value":506},{"date":353,"value":517},98.69,{"date":356,"value":519},101.87,{"publishedDate":228,"updateFrequency":189,"updateFrequencyText":190,"label":521,"today":522,"last":523,"percentageChange":524,"yearToDate":525,"yearOnYear":526,"oneYearIndexTrend":527,"url":375,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"LFP",111.93,124.92,-10.4,-2.67,-3.42,[528,529,530,532,534,536,538,540,542,544,546,548],{"date":228,"value":522},{"date":257,"value":523},{"date":260,"value":531},109.9,{"date":471,"value":533},100.47,{"date":474,"value":535},103.62,{"date":477,"value":537},109.47,{"date":335,"value":539},115.87,{"date":345,"value":541},117.3,{"date":347,"value":543},114.57,{"date":350,"value":545},115,{"date":353,"value":547},117.82,{"date":356,"value":549},111.9,{"id":551,"uuid":552,"name":553,"slug":554,"full_slug":555,"content":556,"relatedArticles":684,"relatedVideos":685},112473431765364,"a74ab4ad-6ecd-4d14-accf-198770b81f1b","Lithium’s 2021 price rises revive expansion plans","lithiums-2021-price-rises-revive-expansion-plans","article/lithiums-2021-price-rises-revive-expansion-plans",{"_uid":557,"date":558,"tags":559,"editor":563,"content":573,"excerpt":663,"featured":50,"reporter":664,"_editable":668,"component":669,"seo_title":553,"categories":670,"visibility":676,"author_company":49,"featured_image":677,"seo_description":663,"author_full_name":49,"author_job_title":49,"formattedDate":682,"formattedArticleDate":683},"0717df90-dc6f-4474-857d-75a7e5e269c9","2021-04-30 00:00",[560],{"slug":561,"name":562},"lithium-prices","Lithium prices",[564],{"slug":565,"name":566,"content":567},"matthew-bird","Matthew Bird",{"job_title":568,"image":569,"bio":571,"linkedin":572},"Senior Editor - Supply Chains & Data Visualisation",{"filename":570},"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":574,"content":575},"doc",[576,583,592,597,602,607,612,617,626,631,636,641,648,653,658],{"type":577,"attrs":578,"content":579},"paragraph",{"textAlign":49},[580],{"text":581,"type":582},"Higher lithium prices in 2021 have started to revive expansion plans with both AMG Lithium and POSCO committing to bring new supply online this April.","text",{"type":577,"attrs":584,"content":585},{"textAlign":49},[586,588,590],{"text":587,"type":582},"Lithium prices have risen across the board year-to-date, led by Chinese lithium carbonate prices which Benchmark’s mid-April Lithium Price Assessment showed were up 103.4% ",{"text":589,"type":582},"(Benchmark’s Lithium Carbonate, Battery Grade, EXW China)",{"text":591,"type":582},".",{"type":577,"attrs":593,"content":594},{"textAlign":49},[595],{"text":596,"type":582},"This follows a period of falling prices which began in early 2018 and ended in late 2020 as lithium prices began to rise. During lithium’s bear market of 2018-2020, low prices had failed to incentivise the development of new supply and expansion plans were delayed across the industry. But with lithium prices having continued to rise since Q4 2020 the industry is beginning to see the revival of previously delayed expansion plans.",{"type":577,"attrs":598,"content":599},{"textAlign":49},[600],{"text":601,"type":582},"AMG Lithium this month finalised its decision to build a facility on land it has purchased at Chemiepark Bitterfeld-Wolfen in Germany, having initially outlined plans to develop a lithium hydroxide plant in the country in 2019. The company is planning to bring the 20,000 tpa LCE (lithium carbonate equivalent) plant online in 2023, with the potential to increase this to 100,000 tpa. Spodumene feedstock for the plant will be sourced from its Mibra mine in Brazil.",{"type":577,"attrs":603,"content":604},{"textAlign":49},[605],{"text":606,"type":582},"AMG has considerable experience as a specialty mineral company and are therefore well positioned to start capturing more value from lithium hydroxide production. The new plant is also strategically located to benefit from growing lithium chemical demand in Europe, with several cathode plants and battery megafactories under construction in the region.",{"type":577,"attrs":608,"content":609},{"textAlign":49},[610],{"text":611,"type":582},"Further lithium chemical capacity was confirmed this April as the board of South Korea’s POSCO approved the development of a lithium hydroxide processing facility in Gwangyang, South Korea. The project, which is set to begin construction in H1 2021, will have a nameplate capacity of 43,000 tpa LCE is due to enter production in 2023 and is set to use spodumene feedstock from Pilbara Minerals’ operations.",{"type":577,"attrs":613,"content":614},{"textAlign":49},[615],{"text":616,"type":582},"POSCO is also due to begin construction of its brine development in H1 2021, near the Salar del Hombre Muerto in Argentina, which has a nameplate 25,000 tpa of lithium carbonate production capacity.",{"type":577,"attrs":618,"content":619},{"textAlign":49},[620,622,624],{"text":621,"type":582},"With the company’s cathode production capacity anticipated to double over the next 10 years, according to ",{"text":623,"type":582},"Benchmark’s Cathode Assessment",{"text":625,"type":582},", if successful these projects would provide it with cost effective feedstock to support its cathode manufacturing expansions.",{"type":577,"attrs":627,"content":628},{"textAlign":49},[629],{"text":630,"type":582},"The marked improvement in the broader lithium industry originated in the Chinese market, which has seen the greatest price rises to date. In response to China’s improved demand picture and price rises, Yahua Lithium announced plans this week to increase the stage two capacity of its lithium hydroxide facility, which is under construction in Ya’an, Sichuan, from 20,000 to 50,000 tpa LCE.",{"type":577,"attrs":632,"content":633},{"textAlign":49},[634],{"text":635,"type":582},"Yongshan Lithium, a subsidiary of leading anode and cathode producer Shanshan, accelerated and completed the development of its refinery ahead of schedule this month, having only begun construction in Q2 2020. According to the company’s president, Feng Yang, the timeline to production of the 15,000 tpa hydroxide and 10,000 tpa lithium carbonate project was accelerated due to raw material price increases and downstream NEV demand.",{"type":577,"attrs":637,"content":638},{"textAlign":49},[639],{"text":640,"type":582},"Q1 reporting from Chinese lithium producers has also reflected the turnaround in lithium’s fortunes as Chengxin Lithium, Yongxing Material, and Jiangte all reported profit increases over 100% year on year, with other producers such as Ganfeng Lithium and Yahua Lithium, projecting strong improvements for their Q1 reports.",{"type":642,"attrs":643,"content":645},"heading",{"level":644,"textAlign":49},4,[646],{"text":647,"type":582},"Lithium deficit is here already",{"type":577,"attrs":649,"content":650},{"textAlign":49},[651],{"text":652,"type":582},"While revived expansion announcements in April illustrate the growing confidence in the lithium market, many of these expansions have already been factored into the future supply picture.",{"type":577,"attrs":654,"content":655},{"textAlign":49},[656],{"text":657,"type":582},"Lithium’s price rises have given confidence to producers and prospective producers alike to execute on plans that were consistently delayed during lithium’s downturn. But these price rises have yet to incentivise sufficient additional supply and lithium’s pipeline is still ill prepared to meet increasing demand from the battery industry.",{"type":577,"attrs":659,"content":660},{"textAlign":49},[661],{"text":662,"type":582},"Benchmark’s Lithium Forecast is now expecting the lithium market to be in a deficit in 2021 due to higher-than-expected demand from the battery sector combined with the lack of new supply. That said, with lithium prices continuing to increase considerably from their 2020 lows there is a growing incentive to bring additional supply online to ease this growing deficit.","Higher lithium prices in 2021 have started to revive expansion plans with both AMG Lithium and POSCO committing to bring new supply online this April. Lithium prices have risen across the board year-to-date, led by Chinese lithium carbonate prices which Benchmark’s mid-April Lithium Price Assessment showed were up 103.4% (Benchmark’s Lithium Carbonate, Battery Grade, EXW […]",[665],{"slug":565,"name":566,"content":666},{"job_title":568,"image":667,"bio":571,"linkedin":572},{"filename":570},"\u003C!--#storyblok#{\"name\": \"article\", \"space\": \"\", \"uid\": \"0717df90-dc6f-4474-857d-75a7e5e269c9\", \"id\": \"\"}-->","article",[671,674],{"slug":672,"name":673},"critical-minerals","Critical Minerals",{"slug":675,"name":8},"lithium","private",{"id":49,"alt":678,"name":678,"focus":678,"title":678,"source":678,"filename":679,"copyright":678,"fieldtype":680,"meta_data":681,"is_external_url":51},"","https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/3e6ddfd379/bm-amg.jpg","asset",{"alt":678,"title":678,"source":678,"copyright":678},"Apr 30, 2021","30th April 2021",[],[],1789141558385]