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level, begin","next-level-begin","article/next-level-begin",{"_uid":557,"date":558,"tags":559,"editor":560,"content":570,"excerpt":748,"featured":50,"reporter":749,"_editable":753,"component":754,"seo_title":553,"categories":755,"visibility":762,"author_company":49,"featured_image":763,"seo_description":748,"author_full_name":49,"author_job_title":49,"formattedDate":768,"formattedArticleDate":769},"bb7ad159-87c8-49e2-908c-c580b2d89d4e","2018-02-23 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",[573,580,585,590,595,600,603,608,613,618,623,628,633,638,643,648,653,656,661,666,671,678,683,688,693,698,703,708,713,718,723,728,733,738,745],{"type":574,"attrs":575,"content":576},"paragraph",{"textAlign":49},[577],{"text":578,"type":579},"Those that played arcade or computer games growing up will be very familiar with the phrase, “Next level, begin” and the linear fashion as to which Benchmark Mineral Intelligence has grown in 2017 feels much like this.","text",{"type":574,"attrs":581,"content":582},{"textAlign":49},[583],{"text":584,"type":579},"There is no doubt Benchmark’s profile has risen to a new level over the last 12 months and that is in large due to the quality, data driven, subscription services that we have released to the market. But if best laid plans are a basis for change, then at Benchmark we are yet to experience this in its entirety.",{"type":574,"attrs":586,"content":587},{"textAlign":49},[588],{"text":589,"type":579},"Our goal for phase one (or level one) of the company was to create a base of information services, most crucially price assessments, that are the highest quality in the market. Our team of analysts focused on the hard work of visiting mines, processing plants and end users around the world to collect and assess prices for the key battery raw materials of lithium, graphite and cobalt.",{"type":574,"attrs":591,"content":592},{"textAlign":49},[593],{"text":594,"type":579},"The second part of this target was to get the industry referencing these prices on a regular basis. And we have achieved this with great efficiency. Benchmark’s deal with Bloomberg and Thomson Reuters to cite our lithium carbonate and hydroxide prices was validation of price assessments that were being accepted and used by active players in the lithium ion battery supply chain.",{"type":574,"attrs":596,"content":597},{"textAlign":49},[598],{"text":599,"type":579},"The wider financial and professional services industry can now type in a ticker code and pull up Benchmark Minerals’ prices for lithium hydroxide, lithium carbonate, flake graphite and uncoated spherical graphite.",{"type":574,"attrs":601,"content":602},{"textAlign":49},[],{"type":574,"attrs":604,"content":605},{"textAlign":49},[606],{"text":607,"type":579},"For the first time, an accurate price chart that reflects the global prevailing trade of lithium chemicals is available to a much wider audience outside of lithium’s core. This is a game changer for those not privy to the opaque and somewhat private lithium supply chain. It will play a critical role in allowing the financiers to continuously track lithium’s price and the wider due diligence process for contracts and mergers and acquisitions.",{"type":574,"attrs":609,"content":610},{"textAlign":49},[611],{"text":612,"type":579},"For Benchmark’s subscribers, those companies that don’t just want to dip in and out of the space but get more detailed data and context to the price changes, the service will continue to improve with more regular assessments, the launch of new grades in 2018 and new staff to bolster our position as number one in the market.",{"type":574,"attrs":614,"content":615},{"textAlign":49},[616],{"text":617,"type":579},"Yet as the lithium ion battery and electric vehicle story continues to gather pace and reach a new level of crazy that we never thought possible only 18 months ago, the noise too increases. More publishers and bank analysts are understandably seeking a way into this thematic, yet many have not grasped even the basic differences between lithium and commodities like coal and iron ore they are so familiar discussing.",{"type":574,"attrs":619,"content":620},{"textAlign":49},[621],{"text":622,"type":579},"There is no doubt this is why Benchmark’s World Tour 2017 had a record attendance of 1,224 investors and mining professionals – up 56% on last year. It’s an incredible rise for those seeking accurate information on the battery supply chain.",{"type":574,"attrs":624,"content":625},{"textAlign":49},[626],{"text":627,"type":579},"It was a pleasure to team up with BMO Capital Markets in Vancouver, Toronto and Beijing; UBS in London, Zurich, Sydney and Melbourne; CLSA in Hong Kong; and, Pattersons in Perth.",{"type":574,"attrs":629,"content":630},{"textAlign":49},[631],{"text":632,"type":579},"Benchmark will continue to seek new and innovative partners for more world tour cities in the future as our global drive to disseminate accurate data and information continues. It’s always been a goal of ours to develop our business with as much focus on the active supply chain – those that produce and buy lithium, graphite and cobalt – as well as on the investment community, the institutional level funds that will make the industry’s biggest investment decisions.",{"type":574,"attrs":634,"content":635},{"textAlign":49},[636],{"text":637,"type":579},"This is going to be crucial for the lithium industry in particular as the market seeks to take investment from $1.2bn to the $9bn needed in the next 7 years.",{"type":574,"attrs":639,"content":640},{"textAlign":49},[641],{"text":642,"type":579},"And while the Benchmark World Tour satisfied the investment community, our inaugural Cathodes 2017 event was an outstanding success for the active supply chain and the final brick into the Benchmark blueprint we set out three and a half years ago.",{"type":574,"attrs":644,"content":645},{"textAlign":49},[646],{"text":647,"type":579},"It was incredible to see so many major producers attend in as much of a deal making capacity as an information gathering one. Cathodes 2017 was the first expert event to bring together lithium, cobalt and nickel players in an agenda built around the buyers of these raw materials, the lithium ion cathode makers.",{"type":574,"attrs":649,"content":650},{"textAlign":49},[651],{"text":652,"type":579},"The cathode manufacturing step on the supply chain is not widely known and often overlooked when organising events. This is why Cathodes 2017 was so successful: the two and a half days was engineered around the cathode makers while bringing together the biggest hitters in the raw materials space.",{"type":574,"attrs":654,"content":655},{"textAlign":49},[],{"type":574,"attrs":657,"content":658},{"textAlign":49},[659],{"text":660,"type":579},"From the cathode sector, we heard from US major, BASF, and Chinese pioneer, Pulead Technology. This was underpinned by a welcome address from the founding father of the lithium ion battery cathode, Dr Stan Whittingham. From the mining space, Cathodes 2017 brought together one of the world’s biggest mining groups and nickel producers, Vale, with cobalt major, Freeport McMoRan, lithium spodumene producer, Galaxy Resources and hydroxide developer, Nemaska Lithium.",{"type":574,"attrs":662,"content":663},{"textAlign":49},[664],{"text":665,"type":579},"The event rapidly developed into a true platform for the lithium ion battery supply chain to exchange ideas and conduct business. As a result, details on Cathodes 2018 will be announced very soon. Our graphite anode coverages continued to gather strength on our achievements in 2016.",{"type":574,"attrs":667,"content":668},{"textAlign":49},[669],{"text":670,"type":579},"This was underpinned by another successful Graphite Supply Chain 2017 conference in November. Our push to become more focused on anode material was validated by some excellent speakers including battery pack manufacturer, Romeo Power, and electric motorbike producer, Alta Motors. And in 2018 we will be announcing new initiatives in this space.",{"type":672,"attrs":673,"content":675},"heading",{"level":674,"textAlign":49},3,[676],{"text":677,"type":579},"Senate & Oxford",{"type":574,"attrs":679,"content":680},{"textAlign":49},[681],{"text":682,"type":579},"Being asked to speak at the US Senate as an expert witness on energy storage technologies was an incredible accolade for all of us at Benchmark to receive. On Tuesday 3 October, I was invited to give a written and verbal testimony to the Committee on Energy & Natural Resources.",{"type":574,"attrs":684,"content":685},{"textAlign":49},[686],{"text":687,"type":579},"The committee which is led by Alaska’s Senator Lisa Murkowski heard for over two hours on energy storage solutions to many problems facing a US that was fresh from three back to back hurricanes that ravaged its Gulf Coast and the Caribbean.",{"type":574,"attrs":689,"content":690},{"textAlign":49},[691],{"text":692,"type":579},"The hearing took place just days after Puerto Rico was destroyed by Hurricane Irma – the third to make landfall in the Caribbean and Gulf in the same season – a record year for extreme weather.",{"type":574,"attrs":694,"content":695},{"textAlign":49},[696],{"text":697,"type":579},"One of the biggest questions posed by the Senators was how to give energy security together with a more flexible and responsive grid. The answer is an abundance of low cost, abundant lithium ion batteries.",{"type":574,"attrs":699,"content":700},{"textAlign":49},[701],{"text":702,"type":579},"The challenge is how to scale the supply chains and ensure security of material supply into the US battery industry as the future of its energy and auto industry depends on it. It was the first time the US Senate had heard about the supply of lithium, graphite, cobalt and nickel for the battery market and the rise of the battery megafactories. And Benchmark Mineral Intelligence was honoured to be able to present our data and opinion.",{"type":574,"attrs":704,"content":705},{"textAlign":49},[706],{"text":707,"type":579},"A second honour bestowed on Benchmark was being invited to give a guest lecture at the University of Oxford in May. The university is where the rechargeable lithium ion battery cathode was invented and to give a presentation on how this invention had come from a lab in Oxford to being one of the most critical enabling technologies to the fourth industrial revolution, was a great privilege.",{"type":574,"attrs":709,"content":710},{"textAlign":49},[711],{"text":712,"type":579},"With Oxford also being my hometown – and with no previous connection to the university – there was added personal satisfaction for myself. A final achievement of note in 2017 was being invited to be on the keynote panel for the London Metal Exchange (LME) Week in November.",{"type":574,"attrs":714,"content":715},{"textAlign":49},[716],{"text":717,"type":579},"The LME Week is the year’s biggest gathering of the world’s industrial metals industry and while it has always been on our radar, it has never been that relevant… until now. The LME, led by new CEO Matthew Chamberlain, has put lithium front and centre of its new approach to exchanged traded minerals and metals.",{"type":574,"attrs":719,"content":720},{"textAlign":49},[721],{"text":722,"type":579},"The group, which is one of the world’s oldest exchanges, is now evolving its focus to include a suite of electric vehicle raw materials, in particular lithium, cobalt and nickel.",{"type":574,"attrs":724,"content":725},{"textAlign":49},[726],{"text":727,"type":579},"Therefore as part of this shift, the LME invited Benchmark to be a part of the keynote panel in front of 650 of the world’s industry. It was an apt way to round off a defining year for Benchmark and for electric vehicles and sets the tone for an even busier 12 months. In 2018, we will launch a number of new services while doubling down on our existing, popular subscriptions. Our suite of offerings is listed below.",{"type":574,"attrs":729,"content":730},{"textAlign":49},[731],{"text":732,"type":579},"Until then, I would like to thank everyone for their support as we push forward cutting a new path.",{"type":574,"attrs":734,"content":735},{"textAlign":49},[736],{"text":737,"type":579},"The EV road continues to open up.",{"type":574,"attrs":739,"content":740},{"textAlign":49},[741,743],{"text":742,"type":579},"Simon Moores ",{"text":744,"type":579},"Managing Director, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence",{"type":574,"attrs":746,"content":747},{"textAlign":49},[],"Those that played arcade or computer games growing up will be very familiar with the phrase, “Next level, begin” and the linear fashion as to which Benchmark Mineral Intelligence has grown in 2017 feels much like this. There is no doubt Benchmark’s profile has risen to a new level over the last 12 months and […]",[750],{"slug":562,"name":563,"content":751},{"job_title":565,"image":752,"bio":568,"linkedin":569},{"filename":567},"\u003C!--#storyblok#{\"name\": \"article\", \"space\": \"\", \"uid\": \"bb7ad159-87c8-49e2-908c-c580b2d89d4e\", \"id\": \"\"}-->","article",[756,759],{"slug":757,"name":758},"batteries","Batteries",{"slug":760,"name":761},"critical-minerals","Critical Minerals","private",{"id":49,"alt":764,"name":764,"focus":764,"title":764,"source":764,"filename":765,"copyright":764,"fieldtype":766,"meta_data":767,"is_external_url":51},"","https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/5ad0cad298/bm-screen-shot-2018-02-23-at-114555.png","asset",{"alt":764,"title":764,"source":764,"copyright":764},"Feb 23, 2018","23rd February 2018",[],[],1792773944990]