Le lithium, le prix en baisse aprés la flambée.

[energy_isere]

suite de ce post du 03 nov 2024 : viewtopic.php?p=2401696#p2401696

IDB Invest to back Posco Argentina lithium expansion with up to $700 million

Reuters | August 28, 2026

IDB Invest, the private-sector arm of the Inter-American Development Bank, will lead the financing of up to $700 million for a unit of South Korea’s Posco Holdings (KRX: 005490) to expand lithium production at its Sal de Oro project in Argentina, the lender said on Friday.

The financing would bolster Argentina’s role in the global battery supply chain as automakers and tech companies compete to secure lithium, a critical raw material for electric-vehicle batteries.

The project, in the northwest on the border of the Salta and Catamarca provinces, is expected to produce about 48,000 metric tons of lithium a year once fully operational and create around 620 jobs, according to an IDB Invest statement.

The package includes a loan of up to $250 million from IDB Invest, with a further $450 million expected from other international financial institutions.

The financing is aimed at expanding Argentina’s capacity to process lithium into battery materials. It will support the startup and phased expansion of two Posco Argentina plants, one producing lithium hydroxide and the other lithium carbonate.

Argentina, Chile and Bolivia make up the so-called Lithium Triangle, home to the world’s largest lithium resources.

https://www.mining.com/web/idb-invest-t ... 0-million/

[energy_isere]

LG Energy Solution signs 10-year US lithium supply deal with Smackover Lithium

By Lee Gyu-lee Published Sep 1, 2026

LG Energy Solution is deepening its push to localize critical-mineral sourcing in North America, securing a long-term lithium supply deal with a U.S. developer as it prepares for rising demand for electric vehicles (EV) and energy storage systems (ESS).

The company said on Tuesday that it has signed a 10-year deal to secure lithium carbonate from U.S.-based lithium developer Smackover Lithium.

Under the agreement, the company will receive a total of 80,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate over 10 years, with deliveries set to begin in 2029, when Smackover Lithium is expected to start commercial production. It said the volume is enough to make batteries for about 1.8 million high-performance EVs with a range of more than 500 kilometers on a single charge.

“The agreement marks another step toward establishing a solid and resilient supply chain that keeps our products competitive in key strategic markets,” said Lee Kang-yeol, LG Energy Solution’s procurement center leader.

“By bringing both battery production and sourcing to the United States, we will deliver competitive and sustainable products to our customers, driving the global energy storage and EV markets.”

Smackover Lithium, a joint venture of U.S. lithium developer Standard Lithium and Norwegian state-owned energy company Equinor, plans to produce lithium carbonate at its South West Arkansas Project using direct lithium extraction technology. The process extracts lithium from underground brine while reducing the environmental footprint of conventional extraction methods.

Lithium carbonate is a key raw material for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and nickel-cobalt-manganese batteries. Demand is expected to rise as battery makers expand LFP production, particularly for ESS.

LG Energy Solution said the agreement will help it secure a stable supply of U.S.-produced lithium while strengthening its competitiveness in the North American battery market. It currently has eight production facilities in North America, either in operation or under development.

The company also expects the local sourcing arrangement to help it meet critical-mineral sourcing requirements under the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act.

LG Energy Solution has also secured lithium supplies through partnerships with major producers in other resource-rich countries.

It has signed long-term agreements with Chilean lithium producer SQM for 100,000 tons of lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate, and with Australia's Liontown for 1.75 million tons of lithium concentrate.

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/business/c ... er-lithium