Resumen de Lithium: : Year in Review 2014
2014 followed in the wake of two major mergers in the market - both involving the same company. China's Tianqi Lithium Group formally took over Australia's Talison Lithium in September 2013, following a 10-month process. Rockwood Holdings, which initially lost out on the bidding process, then acquired a 49% interest in Talison in December 2013.
It was not all doom and gloom in the market as technology partnerships sprung up, making costs lower and projects more attractive. Lithium Americas, which is developing the Olaroz project, began operating its lithium extraction technology, developed with POSCO and Canada's Energi Group also unveiled its own processing technology, which it said could produce up to 50,000 tpa lithium carbonate.
Demand over the next few years is slated to come from the battery industry. Tesla Motors' Gigafactory will need up to 25,000 tpa lithium chemicals - most likely hydroxide - at full capacity. An uptick of 20% of total global demand and 50% up on battery demand.
