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
Stay ahead of the battery material markets
To be informed of relevant content, sign up to Argus Battery Materials Market Highlights. Each newsletter issue provides key prices, selected news, downloadable insight papers, podcasts, and on-demand videos across all major battery raw materials. Our coverage spans lithium, cobalt, nickel, and more, enabling you to explore end-to-end the battery metals and EV industries.
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Browse the latest market moving news on the global battery materials industry.
Tees Valley Lithium, E3 agree Li refining deal
Tees Valley Lithium, E3 agree Li refining deal
Houston, 8 July (Argus) — Canadian lithium developer E3 Lithium and UK-based lithium refinery Tees Valley Lithium (TVL) agreed to a lithium refining partnership to convert lithium carbonate into lithium hydroxide. E3 will use TVL's conversion capacity to convert up to 50,000 metric tonnes (t) of lithium carbonate from E3's Clearwater project in Alberta, Canada, into battery-grade lithium hydroxide over an initial 10-year term, TVL's holding company, Alkemy Capital Investments, said Wednesday. The partnership builds on TVL's offtake agreement with a Glencore subsidiary for up to 10,000t/yr of battery-grade lithium hydroxide. E3 Lithium has 21.2mn t of lithium carbonate equivalent measured and indicated resources in Alberta, and TVL is constructing a £185mn ($248mn) merchant lithium refinery in Billingham, Teesside. The Billingham refinery will begin production in 2027 with an initial capacity of 25,000 t/yr and potential to scale up to 100,000 t/yr. By Carol Luk Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Rio Tinto cedes control of Malawi graphite project
Rio Tinto cedes control of Malawi graphite project
London, 8 July (Argus) — UK-Australian mining company Rio Tinto has opted out of its right to become the operator of Sovereign Metals' Kasiya Rutile-Graphite project in Kasiya, Malawi, Sovereign announced today. Rio Tinto's rights according to a previous agreement, including exclusive marketing rights to 40pc of Kasiya's annual production and rights over any offer from a third party, have lapsed. The company remains a shareholder in the project. Rio Tinto's decision does not reflect any change in the fundamentals of the project as a strategic, non-Chinese source of graphite, Sovereign said, adding that it will now pursue a US-focused strategy. The company said is in talks with trading companies Mitsui and Traxys, among others, for binding agreements regarding the offtake from Kasiya, it said. Sovereign in April released a definitive feasibility study (DFS) on Kasiya, proposing production of 275,000 t/yr of 96pc flake graphite and 222,000 t/yr of 95pc rutile for a 25 year life-of-mine. The company estimated total capital expenditure of $727mn to first production, but gave no indication of when that will be. "Since 2023, Rio Tinto has invested over A$60mn in the project and has provided valuable technical input... [which] has contributed to the successful delivery of the unique pilot mining and rehabilitation programme," Sovereign Metals chairman Ben Stoikovich said. "Sovereign looks forward to Rio Tinto continuing as a supportive shareholder as it builds on this important period of technical and operational progress." By Thomas Kavanagh Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Sinomine snaps up Tyranna's Angolan lithium project
Sinomine snaps up Tyranna's Angolan lithium project
Singapore, 8 July (Argus) — Major Chinese mining company Sinomine Resources is set to take over the Namibe lithium and caesium project in Angola, adding to its regional lithium portfolio, after striking a deal with Australian explorer Tyranna Resources. Tyranna's subsidiary will offload its 90pc stake in a Mauritius-incorporated entity that owns the Namibe project to Sinomine in a $1.44mn binding deal, said Tyranna on 7 July. Tyranna gained full ownership of the project after acquiring the remaining 20pc stake in April. Sinomine funded the project's exploration and development, having agreed to fork out more than A$31mn ($21.5mn) in stages back in 2023. An offtake for 50pc of the project's spodumene and pollucite — a rare mineral containing caesium that is used in atomic clocks, vacuum tubes — was in place prior to the current deal. The major Chinese mining group been expanding its lithium supply sources in Africa , alongside its fellow Chinese lithium rivals such as Ganfeng and Canmax. Ganfeng signed a deal to fully take over the Goulamina lithium mine in Mali in July 2025. Meanwhile, Canmax commissioned a lithium mining and processing plant in Nigeria last week in partnership with Jiangxi Jiuling. Sinomine earlier announced plans to build a 100,000 t/yr lithium sulphate plant in Zimbabwe that is expected to commence production in mid-2027. It also owns the Bikita mine in Zimbabwe. A sudden halt on all exports of raw mineral and lithium concentrates earlier this year by Zimbabwe triggered turmoil across the lithium market. The halt was later lifted. But a lithium concentrate export ban that is poised to start in 2027 has prompted miners in the country to build up domestic processing capacity. By Joseph Ho Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Thailand secures $4.1bn in EV supply chain investments
Thailand secures $4.1bn in EV supply chain investments
Singapore, 6 July (Argus) — Thailand has secured over $4.1bn in investment pledges across its electric vehicle (EV) supply chain, according to the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI). The investments span 198 projects. Of the total, $1.18bn has been pledged across 18 battery EV (BEV) projects, $1.18bn across 14 hybrid projects, $1bn across 57 battery and energy storage system (ESS) projects, $373mn across 49 critical components projects, and $292mn across 42 charging infrastructure projects. The investment surge is driven by the growing interest from global automakers to establish regional hubs in southeast Asia and shift production towards clean energy, BOI said on 3 July. Thailand produced around 1.455mn vehicles in 2025 and remains southeast Asia's largest automotive manufacturing hub. Thailand has implemented incentives to promote EV production in recent years, including tax measures and provisions . Its policy framework notably extends beyond pure EVs, unlike its regional competitors, according to the BOI. Thailand intends to expand the role of its local suppliers in the global automotive value chain by supporting all EV technologies, said secretary general of the BOI and secretary of the National EV Policy Board Narit Therdsteerasukdi, at the International Electric Vehicle Technology Conference in Bangkok last week. Thailand's policy framework has already prompted several Japanese and Chinese manufacturers such as Mazda, Changan Automobile and BYD to set up EV plants in Thailand, while German automaker Mercedes-Benz launched BEV production in the country in 2022, according to the BOI. Electrified vehicles made up over 40pc of all new vehicle registrations in Thailand in 2025, led by hybrids with 21.8pc and BEVs with 19.6pc, according to the BOI. Thailand is aiming for EVs to reach 30pc of its total automotive production by 2030. BEV and plug-in hybrid passenger EV (PHEV) production more than doubled on the year to 71,000 units and 17,300 units, respectively, in 2025, while hybrid passenger EV output rose by 12pc to over 214,000 units during the same period, according to the Federation of Thai Industries. By Ishika Gupta Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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