From todays cup of coffee,...
I can add that many carpenters are switching to the lithium ion battery packs to run their portables. Many not in the construction industry may not realize that recently there has been a changeover to portable battery run drills, skilsaws, and nailers. A carpenter now shows up to a worksite with a knapsack of portable tools and a generator to charge the batteries.
Lithium Market
Driving on lithium. The market for lithium has existed for years and while the metal has been used in various applications, it
has moved to a new level of interest in recent times. First, with the cellular phone industry with its demand for lightweight
batteries and more recently the massive upsurge in hybrid automobile demand and production. New applications for lithium
generated a surge in specialist demand with the usage of lithium in secondary batteries growing at an annual growth rate of
25% between 2000-05 (according to the consultants Roskill). Growth in the use of lithium secondary batteries has been driven
primarily by the rapid expansion in the portable consumer electronics sector. By 2005, nearly all mobile phones and greater
than 90% of laptop computers incorporated lithium based secondary batteries due to their higher energy density and lighter
weight nickel-cadmium and nickel-metals hybrid products. In fact, Global Strategic Analysts predict that the market for lithium
ion batteries is likely to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of over 32% through 2010. And this growth rate could
continue to climb with an increased demand for hybrid automobiles as lithium-ion batteries remain the only current viable
solution with the cost of hydrogen infrastructure prohibitive for hydrogen fuel or hydrogen fuel cell technology. Estimates of
worldwide lithium reserves total about 28.4 million tonnes lithium (or 150 million tonnes lithium carbonate). Reserves in active
or proposed operations are around 14 million tonnes (or 74 million tonnes lithium carbonate) while current worldwide demand
is estimated at about 16,000 tonnes lithium (or 84,000 tonnes carbonate). Most lithium mining uses a brine recovery process,
which means that the road to production for these facilities is relatively inexpensive and with little lead time; having the right
project chemistry, however, is crucial. While the face of growth in lithium demand is clearly linked to economic activity due to
its relation with the cellphone, computer battery and hybrid auto subsector, the current economic slump could hinder demand
for the most important usages (in terms of quantity used per unit) in the hybrid auto industry. However, the slowdown should
be transitory and the hybrid auto industry appears poised to develop into a substantial industry, which should offset the maturity
of the other two principal applications. The largest players in the sector are Soquimich (SQM), Chemetall (ROC) and FMC
Lithium, Admiralty Resources and Comibol (Bolivian government). Lithium-focused juniors include Canada Lithium (CLQ),
Western Lithium Canada (WLC) and Rodinia Minerals (RM). |
