Cathodes 2017 Round-Up

This year’s Cathodes conference gave market participants opportunities to network, ask questions and listen to presentations to further their knowledge of the cathodes industry.
Hosted by Benchmark Minerals Intelligence, the three-day show was held in Newport Beach, California from October 8 to 10, and featured over 30 expert analysts and many exhibiting companies.
Keep reading to view our coverage of the event. From presentation overviews to audio interviews, we’ve laid out the highlights for those who weren’t able to make it. Find out what experts had to say about lithium-ion battery megafactories, trends in cell chemistry and form factor, lithium, cobalt and nickel chemicals, among many others.

Cathodes 2017: Notes from the Floor

Day one started with presentations from cathode manufacturers about trends in the industry and what has been happening in China and North America. Upstream companies took the stage for the second session, including Galaxy Resources (ASX:GXY), Nemaska Lithium (TSX:NMX), Freeport Cobalt and Vale (NYSE:VALE).
In the afternoon, two workshops took place on outlooks for the lithium, cobalt and nickel markets and the day wrapped up with a session from companies developing these assets around the world. Speakers included execs from eCobalt Solutions (TSX:ECS), Pilbara Minerals (ASX:PLS), First Cobalt (TSX:FCC), American Manganese (TSXV:AMY), Pure Energy Minerals (TSXV:PE), Global Geoscience (ASX:GSC), Piedmont Lithium (ASX:PLL), Celsius Resources (ASX:CLA) and Battery Mineral Resources.
Day two kicked off with two concurrent briefings, market analysis and technical, where different panels discussed key factors in the industry. The following session examined cathode demand in detail from different perspectives. Finally, Cathodes closed with a session about responsible sourcing, a critical issue for all markets involved in the electric car revolution.

Audio interviews

Lithium-ion batteries:

Sam Jaffe: “Lithium Ion Will be Here for the Next 10 Years”

Cairn Energy Research President Sam Jaffe sees lithium-ion battery demand rising from 80 GWh this year to as much as 750 GWh in 2026.

Brett Simon: “Lithium Ion Will Continue to Dominate the Stationary Energy Storage Market”

“Lithium ion has dominated the stationary energy storage market since late 2014, and at GTM Research we forecast this continuing over the next five years,” GTM Research analyst Brett Simon said.

Lithium:

Simon Moores: Scaling up Will Be the Biggest Challenge for Lithium

Simon Moores, managing director of Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, shares his thoughts on the lithium market in this interview from Cathodes 2017.

Joe Lowry: Why the Lithium “Star Alliance” is Crucial for Supply

Joe Lowry of Global Lithium talks about the lithium “Star Alliance” and what’s ahead for the market in the next few months.

Ken Brinsden of Pilbara Minerals: “We Will See More Lithium Offtake Deals with Car Manufacturers”

At Cathodes 2017, the Investing News Network spoke with Ken Brinsden, CEO of Pilbara Minerals, about the company’s recent lithium offtake deal.

CEO David Snydacker on Lilac Solutions’ Lithium Extraction Technology

Lilac Solutions CEO David Snydacker explains the company’s lithium extraction technology and what it could mean for the lithium market.

Cobalt:

Caspar Rawles: Why Nothing Can Stop the Cobalt Story

“I don’t think there are any factors that could derail the cobalt story at this point,” said Benchmark Minerals analyst Caspar Rawles.

David Weight: “Responsible Sourcing of Cobalt Will Be a Key Challenge”

David Weight, president of the Cobalt Institute, shares his thoughts on the cobalt market in this interview from Cathodes 2017.

RCS Global: The Importance of Responsible Sourcing in the Lithium-ion Battery Industry

Nicholas Garrett and Harrison Mitchell of RCS Global speak about why responsible sourcing of raw materials is becoming increasingly important.

Robin Goad of Fortune Minerals: “We Will See More Cobalt Production from North America”

Robin Goad, president and CEO of Fortune Minerals (TSX:FT), shares his thoughts on the cobalt market and the company’s NICO project.

Nickel:

Chris Berry: Lithium and Cobalt are Hot, but Watch Nickel Too

Chris Berry of House Mountain Partners and the Disruptive Discoveries Journal shares his thoughts on the future of battery metals.

Andrew Miller: Why Nickel Has Been “Overlooked” in the Battery Space

Andrew Miller of Benchmark Mineral Intelligence speaks about nickel and graphite, both of which may deserve more attention this year.
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Securities Disclosure: I, Priscila Barrera, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Editorial Disclosure: Fortune Minerals, Nemaska Lithium and American Manganese are clients of the Investing News Network. This article is not paid-for content.