VIDEO - Rodney Hooper: The So-called Death of Lithium Carbonate Was Premature

At this year’s Lithium Supply & Markets Conference in Chile, the Investing News Network caught up with lithium consultant Rodney Hooper, who is also co-host of the Lithium-ion Rocks! Podcast.

Speaking about the two main trends he’s seen in the lithium space in the past year, Hooper pointed to the uptake of lithium hard rock production in Australia and to the downtrend in lithium prices.

“With oversupply in spodumene we’ve seen prices come under pressure,” he said on the sidelines of the show. “If we take indications from Livent (NYSE:LTHM) and SQM (NYSE:SQM) on their Q1 results, they see further down pressure in prices in 2019.”

That said, Hooper sees demand outstripping supply starting in 2021 to 2022, which in turn could help lithium prices.

He also shared his thoughts on the lithium hydroxide versus lithium carbonate debate, and whether the space will see demand for one type of lithium increase more than demand for the other.

“I think the death of carbonate was a bit premature; the adoption of nickel–cobalt–manganese 811 cathodes was not as aggressive as expected,” he said. “The transition to hydroxide hasn’t been as quick.”

Speaking about the London Metal Exchange lithium futures contract news, Hooper said one of the areas in which he sees merit is potential lithium streaming deals.

“I think there’s potential either for the battery industry or the original equipment manufacturers to fund some of the new projects that they are happy with from a technical perspective and lock in an actual physical streaming deal and secure it at a price going forward.”

Watch the video above for more of Hooper’s thoughts on the lithium space and what factors to watch out for in the second half of 2019.

You can also click here to watch our full Lithium Supply & Markets Conference playlist on YouTube.

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Securities Disclosure: I, Priscila Barrera, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Editorial Disclosure: The Investing News Network does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the information reported in the interviews it conducts. The opinions expressed in these interviews do not reflect the opinions of the Investing News Network and do not constitute investment advice. All readers are encouraged to perform their own due diligence.