Trafigura will supply lithium feedstock and will also invest equity in the UK firm’s development-phase funding round.  The trader is already a leading player in international nickel and cobalt markets and is making significant investments to develop its business across other battery metal commodities.

According to Green Lithium, there is currently no large-scale commercial lithium refining capacity in Europe, leaving the region’s rapidly growing electrical vehicle and sustainable energy storage sectors wholly reliant on imports from East Asia (and particularly China), a market which is fast-growing and increasingly consuming its own supply.

By 2030, experts predict that the UK and European electric vehicle industries will require 600,000 t/y of refined lithium chemicals to meet announced targets, meaning supply will need to expand by more than 400% over the next eight years.

Author: Elaine Burridge, Freelance Journalist