The Global Lithium Podcast

A solo episode where I discuss the reasons for the recent price action, two schools of thought about where we are headed from here and why China needs Argentina more than Argentina needs China from a lithium perspective.

A stream of consciousness solo episode where I talk about the recent drama concerning SMM's inventory number and change in their process. Did it make sense? Who does it serve? I also talk about comments from Ganfeng on the quality of inventory information and the fact that some of the GFEX warehouse inventory isn't usable.

My guests are the co-founders of ILiA: Anand Sheth and Roland Chavasse.

Topics:

The membership mix

Not just a producer organization

Communicating the industry message

What is success for ILiA?

Challenges

Commodity or specialty chemical?

Communicating with regulators

Chemicals or mining?

Lithium trivia

China: flexibility, growth and chaos

My guests are: David Park and Dr. Andy Robinson, the CEO and President/COO, respectively.

Topics:

The LG offtake agreement

How deals get done

The market tailwind

Standard's path to FID

The DLE journey

Advantages of Smackover brine

Tightening specifications

Bi-carbonation

The build

Safety

Culture

The Smackover's LT potential

The midstream

Dr Yuan Gao is one of the most respected voices in the lithium-ion battery supply chain. A battery scientist with a number of cathode patents that has worked for a lithium producer, been the CEO of a major cathode maker, and is now on the board of directors of Lithium Americas and Pure Lithium, Dr Gao has a unique perspective on the history and future of the battery industry.

Topics:

The holy grail

The future of BESS

What's next in cathode

Demand growth

The evolution of lithium intensity

Repurposing US gigafactories

CATL

Sodium-ion

Robin Zeng's team

Solid state batteries

Innovation in lithium metal

Making a difference

Lessons from Lithium Americas

US-China relations

Lithium-ion surprises

Rapid fire

In this solo episode, I discuss the state of the lithium market: the good, the bad and the ugly.

Despite the market’s overreaction to misinformation from China about the impact of a mine reopening on the supply and demand balance and the threat of sodium ion, lithium’s long-term fundamentals have never looked better.

Demand continues to go from strength to strength. Meanwhile, production shortfalls, project delays and efforts by African countries to retain more of the value created from their resources continue to put pressure on supply.

Topics:

ALB's bullish market commentary

SQM displaces ALB as the #1 producer

CATL: #1 in GWH & misinformation

The pulled US lithium tender

The midstream/downstream future in Oz

US critical metals "hype machine"

Tesla's long ramp up in Texas

Buy the book

Venkee Sharma is the Executive Chairman of Aquatech, a global leader in water and critical metals technology.

Topics:

Aquatech’s “superpower”

Seizing opportunities in lithium

The Team

Aquatech’s view of the market

DLE

The op-ex challenge

Believers in brine

The future of battery grade

Fans of the Smackover

Different customers – different problems

Selling solutions not technology

A family culture

The White Silver Project

Pearl

Rapid fire

David Park is the CEO of Standard Lithium.

Topics:

Leaving retirement for a lithium junior

Capital challenges

Partners

Critical success factors

Getting to FID

Offtake agreements

DLE

The Team

Bipartisan projects

The benefits of Arkansas

The Smackover vs. hard rock

Price

"6 hours of angst"

Shout outs

Rapid fire

Chris Berry interviewed me about my new book "Lithium Confidential" at the the Fastmarkets Global Lithium event in Las Vegas. The interview was in front of a live audience.

The book is available via both as a paperback and e-book via Amazon but can also be ordered from you local bookstore no matter where you live.

Jon Evans is the CEO of Lithium Americas and a long-time industry veteran.

Topics:

How the industry has changed since 2008

Why price stays higher for longer this cycle

The battery market

After the first Thacker Pass ton

US lithium demand

Not Jon's first rodeo

Partners

A lesson from Ted Lasso

What keeps Jon motivated

Sulfuric acid

LAC's position on the cost curve

America's midstream issue

Africa

What success at Thacker Pass looks like