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Mid-Nickel",103.5,99.73,3.78,13.78,6.78,[518,519,520,522,524,526,528,530,532,534,536,538],{"date":213,"value":512},{"date":216,"value":513},{"date":219,"value":521},99.19,{"date":222,"value":523},96.02,{"date":225,"value":525},98.23,{"date":467,"value":527},99.24,{"date":329,"value":529},101.29,{"date":339,"value":531},87.61,{"date":341,"value":533},92.44,{"date":344,"value":535},90.96,{"date":347,"value":537},92.24,{"date":350,"value":539},95.09,{"id":541,"uuid":542,"name":543,"slug":544,"full_slug":545,"content":546,"relatedArticles":738,"relatedVideos":739},112469286589572,"461f077a-521a-4008-947d-61deed3ea5b4","Synthetic anode material average prices tip below natural graphite for first time in over three years","synthetic-anode-material-average-prices-tip-below-natural-graphite-for-first-time-in-over-three-years","article/synthetic-anode-material-average-prices-tip-below-natural-graphite-for-first-time-in-over-three-years",{"_uid":547,"date":548,"tags":549,"editor":559,"content":569,"excerpt":715,"featured":51,"reporter":716,"_editable":720,"component":721,"seo_title":543,"categories":722,"visibility":731,"author_company":49,"featured_image":732,"seo_description":715,"author_full_name":49,"author_job_title":49,"formattedDate":736,"formattedArticleDate":737},"ee704fe3-faa7-4e83-92be-2b618314f964","2024-07-15 00:00",[550,553,556],{"slug":551,"name":552},"anode-prices","Anode prices",{"slug":554,"name":555},"natural-graphite","natural graphite",{"slug":557,"name":558},"synthetic-graphite","Synthetic graphite",[560],{"slug":561,"name":562,"content":563},"matthew-bird","Matthew Bird",{"job_title":564,"image":565,"bio":567,"linkedin":568},"Senior Editor - Supply Chains & Data Visualisation",{"filename":566},"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":570,"content":571},"doc",[572,589,602,613,618,630,635,640,645,658,665,676,681,686,694,699,704],{"type":573,"attrs":574,"content":575},"paragraph",{"textAlign":49},[576,579,587],{"text":577,"type":578},"The average price of synthetic graphite anode material has ","text",{"text":580,"type":578,"marks":581},"fallen below",[582],{"type":583,"attrs":584},"link",{"href":585,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":586},"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/synthetic-graphite-anode-prices-fall-20-this-year-putting-pressure-on-natural-graphite","url",{"text":588,"type":578}," that of natural graphite anode for the first time in over three years, pushing cell makers to increasingly switch to the more affordable option.",{"type":573,"attrs":590,"content":591},{"textAlign":49},[592,594,600],{"text":593,"type":578},"Average prices of synthetic graphite anode material have fallen 18% year-on-year in June to $4,738 per tonne, the lowest level since January 2021, according to the ",{"text":595,"type":578,"marks":596},"Benchmark Anode Price Assessment",[597],{"type":583,"attrs":598},{"href":599,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":586},"https://www.benchmarkminerals.com/price-assessments/anode/reports/",{"text":601,"type":578},". In contrast, natural anode prices have declined 11% year-on-year in June to $4,773 per tonne.",{"type":573,"attrs":603,"content":604},{"textAlign":49},[605,607,611],{"text":606,"type":578},"For a perspective, synthetic graphite anode material’s average price per tonne was $1,757 more expensive than its natural graphite counterpart in January 2021, according to the ",{"text":595,"type":578,"marks":608},[609],{"type":583,"attrs":610},{"href":599,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":586},{"text":612,"type":578},". The price gap peaked at $2,329 in November 2021 and stayed at those levels until the end of that year. ",{"type":573,"attrs":614,"content":615},{"textAlign":49},[616],{"text":617,"type":578},"“Due to the increasingly competitive price of synthetic anode material, many Chinese lithium battery manufacturing companies have chosen to replace it with natural graphite anodes,” said Frank Li, analyst at Benchmark. ",{"type":619,"attrs":620},"blok",{"id":621,"body":622},"6a636021-4c5c-4efc-b2cc-06c22b25aef3",[623],{"id":624,"_uid":625,"type":626,"_editable":627,"component":628,"fixed_height":629,"use_fixed_height":50,"fixed_height_mobile":629,"fixed_height_tablet":629},"24917541","i-c0c7784e-bf85-4e34-b16d-b12c37991cf1","visualisation","\u003C!--#storyblok#{\"name\": \"ContentFlourish\", \"space\": \"\", \"uid\": \"i-c0c7784e-bf85-4e34-b16d-b12c37991cf1\", \"id\": \"\"}-->","ContentFlourish","",{"type":573,"attrs":631,"content":632},{"textAlign":49},[633],{"text":634,"type":578},"According to Li, cell makers that previously opted for natural graphite anode material are now purchasing its counterpart, and in turn increasing demand for synthetic graphite anode material.",{"type":573,"attrs":636,"content":637},{"textAlign":49},[638],{"text":639,"type":578},"Synthetic graphite dominant anodes are considered safer and more consistent than natural graphite anodes. But synthetic graphite anode prices have typically been more expensive. In November 2021, the global average price gap with natural graphite anodes reached its highest level of $2,329 per tonne.  ",{"type":573,"attrs":641,"content":642},{"textAlign":49},[643],{"text":644,"type":578},"“The most important factor currently being considered by downstream battery makers is the price of anode materials, while ensuring product quality is qualified. Artificial graphite performs better than natural graphite anodes in terms of fast charging and service life,” said Li.",{"type":573,"attrs":646,"content":647},{"textAlign":49},[648,650,656],{"text":649,"type":578},"Further, while manufacturers often ",{"text":651,"type":578,"marks":652},"blend",[653],{"type":583,"attrs":654},{"href":655,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":586},"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/infographic-china-controls-three-quarters-of-graphite-anode-supply-chain",{"text":657,"type":578}," the natural and the synthetic materials to improve anode performance, the natural graphite anode material is considered to have a far superior ESG credential compared to the petrochemicals-based synthetic graphite. ",{"type":659,"attrs":660,"content":662},"heading",{"level":661,"textAlign":49},4,[663],{"text":664,"type":578},"High energy anode price gap narrows",{"type":573,"attrs":666,"content":667},{"textAlign":49},[668,670,674],{"text":669,"type":578},"Unlike the medium and low energy grades, high energy synthetic anode is still more expensive than the high energy natural anode but with the narrowest price gap since January 2021, according to the ",{"text":595,"type":578,"marks":671},[672],{"type":583,"attrs":673},{"href":599,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":586},{"text":675,"type":578},". ",{"type":573,"attrs":677,"content":678},{"textAlign":49},[679],{"text":680,"type":578},"“Currently, there is a serious overcapacity of artificial graphite anodes in China, but there are very few enterprises that can produce high-end artificial graphite anodes, mainly top anode enterprises, so their prices are relatively high,” according to Li.",{"type":573,"attrs":682,"content":683},{"textAlign":49},[684],{"text":685,"type":578},"High energy synthetic anodes prices reached RMB 55,000 ($7,590) per tonne in June, above those of high energy natural graphite anodes at RMB 50,000 ($6,900) per tonne.",{"type":573,"attrs":687,"content":688},{"textAlign":49},[689],{"type":690,"attrs":691},"image",{"id":49,"alt":629,"src":692,"title":49,"source":49,"copyright":49,"meta_data":693},"https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/925fe25ac4/bm-high-energy-anode-prices.png",{},{"type":573,"attrs":695,"content":696},{"textAlign":49},[697],{"text":698,"type":578},"High energy synthetic anodes are extensively used in electric vehicle applications while medium and low energy synthetic anodes find their way in computers, mobile phones, digital cameras, low range electric vehicles and energy storage applications. ",{"type":573,"attrs":700,"content":701},{"textAlign":49},[702],{"text":703,"type":578},"Among all grades of synthetic graphite anodes, the low energy and the medium anodes have registered the sharpest drop in prices since the beginning of January 2021. ",{"type":573,"attrs":705,"content":706},{"textAlign":49},[707,709,713],{"text":708,"type":578},"Low energy synthetic graphite anode prices have been trading below those of low energy natural graphite anode prices since June last year, according to the ",{"text":595,"type":578,"marks":710},[711],{"type":583,"attrs":712},{"href":599,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":586},{"text":714,"type":578},". In the case of medium energy synthetic graphite anodes, prices have been below those of medium energy natural graphite anodes since October 2023.","The average price of synthetic graphite anode material has fallen below that of natural graphite anode for the first time in over three years, pushing cell makers to increasingly switch to the more affordable option. Average prices of synthetic graphite anode material have fallen 18% year-on-year in June to $4,738 per tonne, the lowest level […]",[717],{"slug":561,"name":562,"content":718},{"job_title":564,"image":719,"bio":567,"linkedin":568},{"filename":566},"\u003C!--#storyblok#{\"name\": \"article\", \"space\": \"\", \"uid\": \"ee704fe3-faa7-4e83-92be-2b618314f964\", \"id\": \"\"}-->","article",[723,725,728],{"slug":724,"name":261},"anode",{"slug":726,"name":727},"batteries","Batteries",{"slug":729,"name":730},"graphite","Graphite","private",{"id":49,"alt":629,"name":629,"focus":629,"title":629,"source":629,"filename":733,"copyright":629,"fieldtype":734,"meta_data":735,"is_external_url":51},"https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/abea704b68/bm-priceupdate2.png","asset",{"alt":629,"title":629,"source":629,"copyright":629},"Jul 15, 2024","15th July 2024",[],[],1783682670115]