The Global Lithium Podcast

Episode 94: Simon Hay

Simon Hay is the CEO of Galaxy Resources.

We review the status of production at Mt Cattlin and development plans for Sal de Vida and James Bay.

We discuss spodumene prices and why Galaxy will continue to sell at spot price in 2021.

Simon makes “no apology” for the new phased development strategy at Sal de Vida and discusses the conditions that need to be in place to move James Bay forward.

We discuss the pros and cons of having partners.

Project execution and teams.

The challenge of managing a project in Argentina from Perth during Covid.

Will Western Australia producers learn the lessons from the past 24 months when considering capacity restarts?

I ask Simon the best aspect of his job.

And, as always, Rapid Fire.

Episode 90: Sigma Lithium - Ana Cabral-Gardner & Calvyn Gardner

Sigma is developing a brownfield hard rock project in Brazil with a focus on “green mining” and ESG considerations.  

Topics include:

The three main considerations in developing Sigma’s resource

ESG

Sigma’s competitive position vs Australian Hard Rock producers

Partnerships and Sigma’s plan for downstream lithium chemical participation

The “social license” challenges for mining projects based on recent events in Brazil

Why “green premiums” are not built into project financial estimates

Life Cycle Assessment audits

Covid challenges

Lithium “hippies” plus rapid fire.

Episode 89: Livista Energy

This episode features Daniel Bloor, CEO, and Jose Hofer, Commercial Manager, of Livista Energy. You can follow them on Twitter @LivistaEnergy and on Linked In as well as their website: Livista.Energy

Livista plans to have the first large scale lithium conversion plant operating in Europe. In addition to discussing the project, we also cover:

Battery passports and traceability

The challenge of finding raw material supply

Will “ESG compliant” material receive price premiums?

Financing challenges

Site selection

Livista’s scope of ambition

Does Europe need a strategic lithium stockpile?

The future of lithium price

Episode 88: Minviro / Life Cycle Assessments

Robert Pell and Alex Grant from Minviro, pioneers in producing Life Cycle Assessments for the lithium industry, are my guests. Minviro is focused on the environmental portion of the emerging and increasingly significant field of ESG.

We discuss:

The development, importance and value of life cycle assessments

Impact categories

Properly quantifying results vs “tick the box” exercises

The need for 3rd party reviews

OEMs desire for ESG compliant material but unwillingness to invest in it

How seriously life cycle assessments are being taken by the industry

And for those of you that are Ayn Rand fans, after this episode you may be asking “Who is Sarah?” instead of “Who is John Galt?”

My favorite lithium event of the year is Panorama Minero's  “Lithium South America”. I had the opportunity to keynote at this event in Salta in 2018 and Jujuy in 2019. This year at the virtual event I participated by doing a live Global Lithium Podcast with a great co-host, Carlos Galli, who conveyed the questions from the audience and added his own insightful commentary.

Topics include:

Why OEMs are not investing in lithium and when this will likely change

The bifurcated market in both quality and price

Covid’s impact on the lithium demand

The coming shortage of battery quality lithium

Tesla’s lithium failure

Why Argentina should “build a lithium bridge” to Europe

The Future of DLE 

My ranking of the “Top Five” lithium players

Bolivia – the land of lithium dreams

In addition I make a few comments on the "divorce" of Livent and E3 Metals

Bob Morris is a battery metals expert who worked for industry heavyweights Umicore, INCO and Vale for many years before starting his own consulting company.

Few people have the depth of the battery supply chain experience that Bob has. Although we dealt with many of the same customers and both spent time as expats in China and Japan, we never crossed paths until we were introduced recently by Dan Blondal, CEO of Nano One.

In this episode Bob shares the basics of industry dynamics for both nickel and cobalt. We discuss why expectations for the growth of high nickel cathode were unrealistic - noting that demand estimates from industry pundits without significant experience often are. We also review why cobalt is likely to have a place in the battery world for a very long time despite the desire of many to minimize use of the metal.

As the development of 811 NMC continues to fall short of expectations, we examine the reasons why 532 and 622 NMC are still viable. We move on to the resurgence of LFP and the ramifications that may have for lithium supply.

Bob provides his thoughts on Tesla’s Battery Day, range anxiety, and why every cathode will continue to have a place in the market for the foreseeable future.

We close by discussing the future of recycling and why Northvolt’s 2030 ambitions for using recycled battery materials are unrealistic.

Emilie Bodoin is the founder and CEO of Pure Lithium a start-up focused on changing the way lithium metal is made and greatly enhancing the quality vs the current state of the art. The original patent for rechargeable lithium batteries goes back to the 1970s and was based on using lithium metal. Technical/safety issues forced a compromise to the current lithium ion design using metal oxides rather than lithium metal.

If Emilie has her way, the next generation of rechargeable lithium batteries will utilize lithium metal and be much more powerful than what we have today. As with all start-ups, risks abound.

I like Emilie’s focus and determination. If you are interested in the future of lithium batteries and lithium raw materials this episode is for you.

The day I met Emilie in New York in early 2019 I also met Paul Graves the CEO of Livent and former podcast guest. At the end of the episode I will discuss Livent’s recently announced plan to be involved in resurrecting the largest value destroying fiasco in lithium history – Nemaska Lithium and why I like the idea.

Last week Altura went into receivership. A day later Pilbara had a conditional deal to purchase their neighbor. Lithium drama has moved, at least temporarily, from the Atacama to the Pilbara. I hope the acquisition happens and ultimately leads to Pilbara vertically integrating via partnerships in Europe and possibly Korea.

In Argentina last week, the government of Salta announced it would allow exportation of lithium brine to have the value addition take place in another country. I think this is a short sighted decision unless it is somehow limited to a brief period of time. I explain the logic behind my thinking.

Last week at the Fastmarkets Lithium Conference the question was asked – does Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) matter? I explain my thoughts on that topic. I also say why I think the conference needs a “makeover” to remain relevant and challenge my buddy Simon Moores who organized the first edition of the conference when he worked for the Fastmarkets (then called Industrial Minerals) to come up with a new and improved conference for the coming “Golden Age” of lithium.

SQM advised me last week what I “have to do” in order for them to be on the podcast….

In episode 83 I have a conversation with a skilled interviewer who talks to me about my three decade “journey” in the lithium world.

Topics include:

Current lithium “state of play”

False lithium narratives

The EU battery build out and need for interdependence in lithium supply

Why do some contemplating EU conversion projects feel carbonate, rather than spodumene, is the best route to battery quality hydroxide?

Why the lithium industry continues to be so misunderstood

Barriers to investment

Is Elon Musk “worth his salt” with respect to lithium?

The future of the cost curve

Why I will never catch up with my daughter’s presence on social media

What is my favorite “type” of lithium?

Why the next lithium shortage will last for years?

The problem with feasibility studies

Why partners matter

Urban Mining

Ganfeng’s strategy

Shout outs to Jon Evans, Dr. Tom Benson and Chris Reed

Why I like LAC and hope Standard Lithium succeeds