Robert Baylis

👀 Batteries and the Value Chain: Nickel, Cobalt, Lithium, PCM, Cathode; Re-tweets not an endorsement; Opinions my own.

[Robert Baylis @robertbaylis]

« Umicore is well positioned within this context because as the main buyer of battery grade lithium in Europe it is teaming up and evaluating the quality of products supplied by emerging lithium suppliers and their new projects across Europe. »

[Umicore @UmicoreGroup]

#Lithium may be light, but its impact on batteries and the energy transition isn't. Discover why this #CriticalRawMaterial matters for batteries, recycling and Europe’s supply chain: https://t.co/gVYgWarQ0T

#UmicoreMaterials

[Robert Baylis @robertbaylis]

“Cobalt Holdings did not give reasons for the U-turn after pricing its shares at $2.56 each last week. However, sources cited by Reuters have indicated that the process was halted due to a lack of investor demand.”

A somewhat predictable eventuality!

https://t.co/xW6Q0zJw3O

[Robert Baylis @robertbaylis]

@FrancisBoulle @samcpr But don’t forget about AI-controlled robots coming for this market!

[Robert Baylis @robertbaylis]

Canada 🇨🇦 playing by China’s 🇨🇳 playbook:

[Robert Baylis @robertbaylis]

@AustinDevaney @globallithium If you drew a wiggly line from Jiangxi, through Sichuan and Qinghai, to Tibet, as the main Li producing regions (each with different resources and thus not geologically continuous) it still wouldn’t be 2800km, thus the inference is it’s lost in translation.

[Robert Baylis @robertbaylis]

@KevinGShang 😧 wowzers, but not totally unexpected based on recent form. There is capability ex-China, with eyes on Tesla/Keliber for 4/5, and plenty of big guns now in 6, but 1/2/3 is where ROW faces an uphill battle to compete on low-cost LIBs.

[Robert Baylis @robertbaylis]

@BillyBigTime6 Re-calc: 1kg LCE / kWh so at avg. 50kWh / EV = 50kg. X1.7M = 85KT LCE for UK. Europe = 500KT LCE.

[Robert Baylis @robertbaylis]

Strategic European investors the go-to as 'retail market dries up': https://t.co/VJQLrzfn27

[Robert Baylis @robertbaylis]

@LyleTrytten Good to see, but, ahem, no helmets!?(although I have noticed the culture of wearing a helmet is a distinctly different in the UK to EU… not withstanding more avid cyclists Europe-wide who’ve witnessed or experienced head+tarmac (or tree/rock) to know it’s a smart idea!

[Robert Baylis @robertbaylis]

@heppel_george Compact (A/B) ICE cars are on the market for around €15-20K in Europe (€12.5-16K if you strip 20% VAT) yet similar-sized LiB-EVs avg. €34-40K. Long range aside, there is no cost reason for this delta today (China is showing as such), it’s just taking time to scale this segment

[Robert Baylis @robertbaylis]

Seems a prudent time given the current (sulphide-route) #nickel market troubles on “low” prices to re-up this from April 2023:

[Robert Baylis @robertbaylis]

BTR see #nickel prices falling to US$8,000/T as Indonesia (China) starts to dominate supply, however this would mean bifurcation of prices (MHP/NiSO4 from Class I) as very few ROW Class I suppliers can compete at this price level: https://t.co/qXpWvnuAki

[Robert Baylis @robertbaylis]

@hanseric @catl_official Assuming 1kg LCE / kWh, that’s 13GWh of recycled content to feed in (but let’s say 20GWh assuming losses). So not that surprising, based on Brunp and CATL’s presence in the market. More interesting would be: a) the % of LFP in the mix and b) the % of domestic vs. imported feed.

[Robert Baylis @robertbaylis]

We weren’t quite in stealth mode, but…

Pleased to be officially launching the EBA Strategic Battery Materials Fund to help finance and support the evaluation phases of battery raw material projects in Europe and overseas.

🥅 = 💪🏼 🔋 ⛓️ in ⛏️ 🧪 & ♻️

[Maroš Šefčovič🇪🇺 @MarosSefcovic]

We mean business.

The #battery industry is of strategic importance, with some 160 industrial projects, incl. 30 gigafactories, supported by the #EUBatteryAlliance -
now 800 members strong and growing.

[Robert Baylis @robertbaylis]

@The_Jow Someone should twin that place with Stoksey Castle, Shropshire, UK. No sign of a head-frame there though.

[Robert Baylis @robertbaylis]

@andyleyland1 @KevinGShang You’re right, thanks for spotting my mistake Andy, it’s only foreign subsidiaries that come under the state-owned restriction. Watch now for a large(r) pivot of Chinese co’s to facilities and JVs ex-China (e.g. Morocco) 👀 - if they can get the govt. approval!

[Robert Baylis @robertbaylis]

@SamsonLi7 $LU7?

[Robert Baylis @robertbaylis]

@KevinGShang Q remains on both sides though whether domestic cell production is sufficient in short-term to continue the FTA without disruption to manufacturers. It’s variable by OEM.

[Robert Baylis @robertbaylis]

@KevinGShang Makes sense. Also, cells from Envision’s expanded Sunderland gigafactory may be acceptable under a revised EU-UK EV FTA if ROO = ‘domestic cell production only’ as the stop-gap, thus allowing continued tax-free trade which would benefit UK-produced JLRs (and Nissan).