Battery materials
Overview
Growth in global electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) production has put a spotlight on battery materials. While lithium-ion batteries dominate the current market, this is a rapidly emerging technology space where improved range or charge times can quicky shift industry sentiment and investment in a different direction.
Argus is at the forefront of battery materials pricing and reporting with coverage of common battery metals (lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite), industry-grade cathodes and black mass. As experts in specialty metals and rare earths, we future-proof our price assessment portfolio with a range of electronic metals crucial to the manufacture of technology deployed in modern vehicles.
Our Argus Battery Materials and Argus Non-Ferrous Markets services help businesses to understand these complicated supply chains, including price volatility and sustainability challenges around future demand.
Minor metals: Battery metals
As automakers continue to invest in electric vehicle production and power companies explore infrastructure that includes energy storage programmes, the metals contained in lithium-ion batteries supporting these products has attracted interest from investors, institutions and manufacturers alike.
Argus is well positioned to provide insight into price volatility, global supply and responsible material sourcing for all manufacturers and investors in this sector.
Highlights of Argus battery materials coverage
- Understand the context of significant price movements and industry trends with a weekly PDF that highlights the most important market news across lithium, cobalt, graphite, nickel and other common battery materials
- Mitigate risk and perform reliable forward planning with 1-year and 10-year forecasts across different battery metals, chemistries and industries
- Gain a competitive edge with industry-specific tools, such as the Black Mass Calculator that estimates the intrinsic value of different battery chemistries (including cathodes like NCM111, NCM523, LFP, NCA)
- Invest with confidence knowing Argus is IOSCO-compliant with over 50 years of experience delivering trusted price data and market intelligence
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India eyes mandatory storage for new solar, wind plants
India eyes mandatory storage for new solar, wind plants
Mumbai, 4 September (Argus) — India's power sector regulator, the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), has proposed mandatory co-located energy storage for new ground-mounted solar and onshore wind projects, alongside grid-forming requirements for renewable power plants. Projects commissioned after 1 July 2027 would need co-located energy storage systems (ESS) with a minimum two-hour duration and capacity equivalent to at least 10pc of installed plant capacity, according to the draft CEA regulations released on 3 September. The storage-duration requirement would increase to four hours for ground-mounted solar and onshore wind projects commissioned after 1 July 2029 and up to 30 June 2031, while the capacity requirement would remain at 10pc of installed capacity. A 100MW solar or wind project would therefore need at least 10MW of storage, with a minimum energy capacity of 20MWh under the first phase and 40MWh under the four-hour requirement. The proposal comes as India's battery storage deployment accelerates. The country added 2,668.54MW of battery energy storage system (Bess) power capacity, equivalent to 7,785.6MWh of energy storage capacity, during 2026, according to government data. Around 47GW of Bess is also being considered for integration by 2031-32. India's solar and wind capacity has continued to expand rapidly. Solar capacity stood at 164.59GW and wind at 58.14GW as of 31 July, accounting for around 74pc of the country's 300.51GW of non-fossil installed capacity, data from the ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) show. Ground-mounted solar accounted for 122.57GW of the total solar capacity, while India added 14.33GW of solar and 2.04GW of wind capacity over April-July, the first four months of the 2026-27 fiscal year. Solar generation rose by 47pc year on year to 80.87TWh during April-July 2026, while wind generation increased by 5.3pc to 52.07TWh, according to CEA data. The draft also proposes that renewable power plants commissioned after 1 July 2027 have at least 15pc of inverters with grid-forming control. All power conversion systems (PCS) of Bess would also need grid-forming control. The requirements would comply with technical requirements specified in its grid-connectivity regulations, CEA said. It would also be able to change the required percentage of grid-forming capability or ESS capacity from time to time. The CEA has invited comments on the draft until 4 October 2026. By Keertiman Upadhyay Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Brazil approves critical minerals bill
Brazil approves critical minerals bill
Sao Paulo, 3 September (Argus) — Brazil's senate passed a bill creating the first structural policy for its growing critical minerals industry. The senate passed the bill on the evening of 2 September by a symbolic vote, with the session's president proclaiming the outcome based on responses from lawmakers present, rather than through a recorded numerical tally of votes in favor or against. The bill had passed in the lower house and was approved with only minor changes to its text, making the senate's approval final. The bill is now set to be sanctioned by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The bill, which supports the local critical minerals industry, creates a fund — with R2bn ($406mn) in federal money — to "guarantee projects and activities linked to the production of critical and strategic minerals" including rare earths, nickel and lithium. It also sets up a program with R5bn in tax credits over five years to encourage "processing and transformation" of such minerals. The bill also defines critical minerals as resources whose scarcity could affect the national economy, while strategic minerals are those structurally important to Brazil's sovereignty because of the size of its reserves. Brazil holds one of the world's largest non-Chinese supplies of critical minerals. It has the largest niobium reserves globally, ranks second in rare earths and graphite, third in nickel, fourth in manganese, and also possesses large lithium reserves, according to government figures. A controversial clause The bill establishes a federal council, which can rule on transactions it considers relevant to national sovereignty, a provision opposed by market participants. The council's structure allows the federal government to approve or veto transactions it deems relevant to national or public interests. Market participants and lobbyists tried to strip the council of its ruling powers, but to no success, multiple sources told Argus . While the policy is broadly viewed as a positive development, the bill preserves the council's project approval powers without specifying its scope or review criteria. "The bill establishes another oversight body without clearly defining its responsibilities or which projects will be subject to its approval," Marisa Cesar, president of Brazil's critical minerals association AMC and vice-president of corporate affairs at PLS Brasil told Argus . "That lack of predictability could affect Brazil's ability to attract and retain investment." Cesar said the absence of clearly defined review criteria could create practical challenges, especially if the council's oversight extends to a large number of transactions. Without clear thresholds or project-selection criteria, companies could face an additional layer of regulatory scrutiny across thousands of annual mining-sector operations, she said. Next steps Still, much of the policy framework still needs to be built. The government must appoint members to the new federal council, which will have 20 seats. Federal officials will fill 15 seats, while industry groups, research institutes and other civil society organizations will choose the remaining five. Authorities must also structure the R2bn investment fund and establish the R5bn tax-credit framework. Industry and government representatives also need to determine which minerals qualify as critical and which qualify as strategic. The legislation calls for a list that can evolve to reflect changing market conditions, technological developments and national priorities. All policies should be in place within 90 days. Even though market participants and the chief of staff's office are in talks to implement all structures related to the bill, delays could happen. By Pedro Consoli Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Australia's August lithium loadings fall
Australia's August lithium loadings fall
Singapore, 3 September (Argus) — Australia's lithium loading volumes are estimated to have fallen in August, with declines recorded across all major loading ports, according to vessel-tracking data compiled by Argus . Australian ports are estimated to have loaded about 286,000t of lithium in August, down by 23pc against 372,600t in July, latest data from vessel tracking firm Kpler compiled by Argus show. Official July data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, supplied through Global Trade Tracker, typically lagged behind Kpler's real-time data, showed loadings of about 370,500t, broadly in line with Argus ' compiled figures. Bunbury port, near Covalent Lithium's Mt Holland operations and the country's most cost-efficient lithium mine Greenbushes, loaded around 163,000t in August, down by 7.6pc on the month. Covalent Lithium is backed by Australian conglomerate Wesfarmers and Chilean lithium producer SQM, while Greenbushes is operated by Australian mining group IGO alongside major Chinese firm Tianqi Lithium and US-based producer Albemarle. Shipments from Port Geraldton, used by lithium miner Liontown Resources, similarly fell by 34pc on the month to 39,100t. Volumes out of Port Hedland and Esperance fell by 54pc and 20pc on the month, respectively, to roughly 34,650t and 49,250t. Australian iron ore and lithium producer Mineral Resources (MinRes) ships spodumene from its Wodgina site via Port Hedland, while lithium producer PLS' Pilgangoora project is also located nearby. MinRes' Bald Hill and Mount Marion operations both export spodumene through Esperance. South Korean conglomerate Posco will own a 15pc stake in Mount Marion once a deal between MinRes and Posco completes, which is expected in July-December 2026. Chinese lithium producer Ganfeng owns half of Mount Marion, leaving MinRes with a 35pc stake after the transaction closes. The vast majority of Australian spodumene is shipped to China. Spodumene demand in China remains "decent", although demand has slowed down on Chinese lithium producers' plant maintenance , a source at an Australian spodumene producer said, but pointed at strong downstream battery demand. By Joseph Ho Australia's bulk lithium exports (t) Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Vulcan targets 21,100 t/yr Li2CO3 at German Li project
Vulcan targets 21,100 t/yr Li2CO3 at German Li project
Singapore, 3 September (Argus) — Australian listed lithium producer Vulcan Energy has unveiled details of its proposed phase 2 lithium project in Germany's Ludwigshafen region, including targeted 21,100 t/yr of battery-grade lithium carbonate output, having freshly completed its preliminary feasibility study (PFS). The firm floated the idea of selling products from Project Ludwig to the EU market, according to Vulcan's announcement on 3 September detailing the PFS results. Vulcan earlier this year started construction of its phase 1, the integrated Lionheart project in Germany, with the 24,000 t/yr of lithium hydroxide operation set to begin production in 2028. The PFS put Ludwig's C1 costs on a comparable ground with its Lionheart project. Ludwig's C1 cost is estimated at €4,101/t ($4,750/t) of lithium carbonate, while Lionheart's C1 cost is €3,588/t of lithium hydroxide monohydrate, which translates to $4,077/t of lithium carbonate equivalent. Both Ludwig and Lionheart sit within the lowest cost quartile on the global lithium project cost curve, Vulcan said. Capital expenditure for Ludwig is expected to be lower at about €1.26bn compared to Lionheart's near €1.48bn, according to Vulcan's announcement. A final investment decision for Ludwig will be made after Lionheart begins production, Vulcan said, which suggests an FID only around 2028. Vulcan's PFS positions Ludwig as an integrated geothermal heat energy and lithium project, featuring heat co-product. Lithium chloride concentrate will be extracted via direct lithium extraction technology after geothermal brine is piped to a central processing facility, and the brine's thermal energy will be utilised to support operations and for external sales. By Joseph Ho Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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