Lithium

China's largest lithium producer announced a laboratory solid-state cell at 500 Wh/kg on May 21, 2026, and began commercial semi-solid deliveries to Hyundai; its Pozuelos-Pastos Grandes JV in Argentina is seeking foreign equity to qualify for non-Chinese offtake

Q1 2026 lithium revenue of $1.76B beat consensus on a 69.8% YoY gain; average realised price recovered to $18/kg from $10/kg in Q4 2025; Tianqi sold 1.25% in February as SQM upgraded 2026 volume guidance to 15%+ growth

The first EV battery recycling shakeout separated commercial-scale survivors from undercapitalised startups; Redwood Materials reached a $6 billion valuation, Germany's cylib raised €63.4 million, and EU Battery Passport compliance deadlines gave the sector a regulatory floor

Huayou Cobalt's Arcadia plant shipped the continent's first domestically refined lithium sulphate; Chinese firms have committed ~$1.2bn to Zimbabwe lithium processing, with Sinomine's Bikita facility still under construction

Project Lonestar (250 tpa, Hooks TX) processes Smackover brine using EnergyX's GET-Lit technology; a Wildcat JV will co-locate a 15,000 tpa LFP cathode plant; DLE market is valued at $1.54 billion in 2026

A 200-tonne LCE shipment to Shanghai in March 2026 marked the start of commercial output at Rincon; IFC, IDB Invest, EFA and JBIC co-financed the $1.175B tranche; the 60,000 tpa target is 2029

A March 2026 EPA Record of Decision unblocked North Carolina's first domestic hard-rock lithium production since the 1980s; Albemarle idled Kemerton and filed a $3.1 billion DLE proposal in the Atacama

The European Commission published its second CRMA Strategic Projects selection in March 2026, bringing the total to 94 projects; member states must issue permits within 24 months; the CRMA sets 2030 supply benchmarks requiring 10% domestic extraction and 40% EU processing

Greenbushes in Western Australia is now the world's largest hard-rock lithium mine across three simultaneous production phases; Tianqi's Kwinana plant delivered 3,047 MT of lithium hydroxide in Q1 2026 and the company issued CNY 2.6 billion in convertible bonds

A January 26 ruling removed the final legal challenge to Chile's nationalization model; the 2026-2030 integration phase begins with Codelco holding a majority-plus-one share and SQM operating the Salar de Atacama

Battery-grade lithium carbonate ran from $13,433/t in December to $26,278 by late January; forecast houses split on deficit vs surplus; DLE in Argentina drives the only material new supply

A Potosí court halted contracts with CATL subsidiary CBC and a Russian partner; President Arce asked Congress to unblock them; YLB's DLE projects cover world's largest lithium reserves but output has been minimal

The House-passed reconciliation bill terminates the IRA's wind production and investment credits for projects beginning after 2026, extends and modifies the 45X advanced manufacturing credit, bars FEOC-sourced material from 45X eligibility, and adds a new metallurgical coal credit; Senate outcome uncertain