Battery Metals Report 2019 - Update

The leap from the age of fossil combustion and energy consumption that is as immediate as possible to the decentralisation of energy production, the corresponding need for on-site storage and, ultimately, to a true revolution in mobility can no longer be stopped. The electric (mobility) boom is still in its infancy and is just beginning to take off.

The heart of every electric car is a rechargeable battery. In addition to lithium, this requires above all larger amounts of cobalt, nickel, manganese or iron ions. There are signs of a shift from a high cobalt content to a high nickel content in the coming years.

In addition to electromobility, decentralised energy storage systems are playing an increasingly important role. The explosive expansion of wind farms and photovoltaic systems is a huge step forward in terms of environmental protection, but an enormous challenge for the electricity grids. This is because renewable energy sources often exhibit extreme fluctuations in power generation. In the short term, enormous overcapacities of electricity arise that are not needed at all. This is referred to as a lack of base load capacity. This can be remedied by storage facilities that initially absorb the excess energy and later release it back into the grid when needed, i.e. when there is a threat of undersupply. The vanadium redox accumulator plays a decisive role in this process.

Overall, there are signs of a supply shortfall in the lithium, cobalt, nickel and vanadium markets as well as in the cobalt, nickel and vanadium markets with immediate effect, as the increase in demand (in some cases 30% per year) will be difficult or impossible to cover in the future by currently planned increases in supply. As there is no end in sight to the increase in demand beyond 2025, and as there are no major production projects worth mentioning in the pipeline, this situation is likely to continue for the foreseeable future.  

This report provides insightful information about the battery metal sector and provides insightful interviews with selected industry experts. The presentation of a number of interesting companies that are suitable for speculation on rising battery metal prices completes the report.