Lithium Valley Main Report 2018
New Energy metals are Australia, China, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia and South Africa although no other nation matches Australia’s unique depth and diversity of materials. When considered with the other advantages mentioned in this report, this puts WA into a unique position for developing high technology industries. These higher margin, lower volume, value adding industries are better suited to local Australian processing.
Figure 19: Global reserves of key battery materials 19
Country reserves of key battery materials as a percentage of known global reserves
250%
200%
150%
100%
50%
0%
Lithium Cobalt
Manganese Vanadium Iron ore Nickel
Copper
Bauxite Graphite Rare earths Ilmenite Rutile
Source: USGS; Future Smart Strategies (21 March 2018)
Figure 20: Global battery value chain 2017 20
Global battery value chain 2017
Mine/Concentrate
6%
1% 14%
50%
29%
Refine/Process
89%
11%
Electochemical
75%
10%
10%
5%
Manufacture Cells
50%
8%
20%
20%
2%
Assemble Batteries
20%
9%
53%
14%
4%
0%
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
China USA Argentina Australia Chile Japan Korea Others
Source: Association of Mining and Exploration Companies; Future Smart Strategies
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