Eye on Lithium: Global EV passenger registrations jump 42pc in first half of 2022

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• Atlantic Lithium hits 4.52% Li2O over 1m from 54m at Ewoyaa
• Lake Resources’ demonstration plant at Kachi delivers ‘at spec’ product
• Vulcan expands Zero Carbon Lithium Project into France

All your lithium news, Wednesday November 2.

Adamas Intelligences’ new ‘State of Charge’ report finds global passenger EV registrations jumped 42pc in the first half of 2022 driven by surging sales growth in the Asia Pacific (up 75pc year-over-year), modest growth in the Americas (19pc year-over-year) and Europe (10pc year-over-year).

In the Asia Pacific region specifically, a 75pc increase in EV sales year-over-year in the first half of 2022 translated to a massive 118% increase in watt-hours of battery capacity deployed onto roads over the same period the year prior, and a corresponding 113% increase in lithium.

ICYMI: Latest “State of Charge’ report from @AdamasIntel

Download free ⬇ and don’t forget to follow ⬆

Next report in early 2023#EVs #batteries #batterymetals #lithium #nickel #cobalt #manganese #graphite #cathodes #anodes #automakers #cellsuppliershttps://t.co/x7hCW4no4e

— Adamas Intelligence (@AdamasIntel) October 31, 2022

“The total global battery capacity deployed onto roads in all regions combined amounted to a hefty 195.5 GWh, 79 per cent more than was deployed globally in the first half of 2021,” the research firm states.

“Tesla continued to lead the pack by battery capacity deployed onto roads globally, installing nearly as many watt-hours into newly sold EVs as its four closest competitors combined.”

Meanwhile, just seven cell suppliers globally (CATL, LG Energy Solution, Panasonic, BYD, SK On, Samsung SDI and CALB) were collectively responsible for more than 82pc of all battery capacity and battery metals deployed onto roads globally in passenger EVs in the first half of 2022.

Interestingly, Adamas adds around 117,200t of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) was deployed onto roads globally in the batteries of all newly sold passenger EVs combined, 76% more than were deployed globally int the first half of 2021.

Here’s how ASX lithium companies are tracking today:

55 companies finished in the green, 42 fell flat and 36 tumbled into a sea of red.

Who’s got news out?

ATLANTIC LITHIUM (ASX:A11)

The African focused lithium exploration company has reported its high-grade assay to date of 4.52% Li2O over 1m from 54m as well as 3.99% Li2O from 53m at the Ewoyaa Lithium Project in Ghana, West Africa.

A11 says this provides confidence in resource conversion at Ewoyaa, and extends mineralisation downdip at the Grasscutter East, Grasscutter West and Anokyi deposits.

“We anticipate further news flow from pending drilling results into the end of the year and are targeting a resource upgrade at the end of 2022 or early 2023, dependent on lab turn-around time,” A11 interim CEO Lennard Kolff says.

“The increased resource estimate will inform a definitive feasibility study, targeted for completion in mid-2023.”

With the PFS delivered, the mining licence application submitted, ongoing positive drilling results and the support of a funding agreement with Piedmont Lithium, A11 says the company is ideally positioned to benefit from the unprecedented levels of lithium demand that are expected over the coming years.

LAKE RESOURCES (ASX:LKE)

Lake completed the construction of the demonstration plant on site with the wet and dry commissioning process taking place during September and October.

LKE says the demonstration plant is now processing Kachi brines with final optimisation of the process nearing completion.

VULCAN ENERGY RESOURCES (ASX:VUL) 

A number of initiatives have kicked off to expand the Zero Carbon Lithium business into France – in particular Alsace, which is a natural extension of the Upper Rhine Valley geothermal lithium brine field.

Vulcan has created a French entity, Vulcan Energie France SAS (VEF), registered in Strasbourg with offices in Haguenau, where Vulcan is growing an experienced French team.

VEF has applied for its first lithium exploration license in the region, “Les Cigognes”, covering some 155km.

Vulcan says VEF is in discussions with local companies in Alsace to develop combined geothermal energy and lithium projects, and also to support industrials and municipalities to decarbonise their heating supply.

ANSON RESOURCES (ASX:ASN)

Anson has delivered a 1Mt lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) mineral resource and 5.7Mt of bromine at the Paradox Lithium Project – a 24pc increase on the previously reported mineral resource.

The new resource includes an indicated grade of 346,109t of LCE and 1.84Mt of bromine as well as an inferred resource of 691,800t of LCE and 3.43Mt of bromine.

This new upgrade represents another significant achievement in the development pathway of the project and will be incorporated into the DFS – which estimated up to 13,000tpa LCE production across the first 10 years of a 23-year project life (Phase 1).

GALAN LITHIUM (ASX:GLN)

GLN has submittd an application to scale up the piloting stage of the Hombre Muerto West Project (HMW) in Argentina to 4,000tpa of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) including construction of 120Ha of evaporation ponds.

If the application is successful, the construction of the expanded pilot pond system could commence in mid-2023, allowing Galan to accelerate the ramp up of brine evaporation.

The scaled-up piloting is expected to deliver targeted first-phase, high-quality 6% Li concentrate on a semi-commercial scale.

Along with the additional 120Ha of evaporation ponds, the scaled up pilot plant application includes reagents treatment area, administration and warehouse facilities, laboratory, power supply (including solar plant) and the original small pilot facility to trial production of lithium carbonate.

ALTAMIN (ASX:AZI)

AZI has been granted an exploration licence for the Galeria Project by the Lazio Regional Government in Italy for an initial two-year period.

Altamin says the ground is highly prospective for lithium in geothermal brines where initial work will consist of a desk-top review and analysis of the historical geological and technical data of any pre-existing wells on each property.

This will then be followed by an assessment of surface access and the feasibility to resample the geothermal brines ahead of a comprehensive geochemical and geothermal study.

IRIS METALS (ASX:IR1)

IR1 has secured contracted for an initial 10,000m RC drilling program for resource definition at the South Dakota Project targeting the Black Diamond Mine and Beecher Mine pegmatites.

Spodumene is mapped over the entire length of the Black Diamond pegmatite supported by the strong lithium readings returned when testing the pegmatite with a LIBS analyser.

Drill testing of the southern extension of the Beecher Mine is also planned, which has historically produced lithium concentrate along with other commercial minerals.

ZENITH MINERALS (ASX:ZNC)

Follow-up RC drill program has commenced at the Waratah Well Lithium Project To provide deeper test below thick, shallow dipping, lithium bearing pegmatites identified in the mid-year drill program.

The project is part of the Zenith Lithium Joint Venture with EV Metals Group.

ARGONAUT RESOURCES (ASX:ARE)

Recent fieldwork has led to the discovery of additional, large Lithium-Caesium-Tantalum Pegmatites (LCT Pegmatites) within the Darson pegmatite swarm at ARE’s 80% held Higginsville project in Western Australia.

The pegmatite swarm extends over an aggregate strike length of two kilometres and samples have been submitted for analysis.

INFINITY MINING (ASX:IMI)

IMI kicks off maiden lithium drilling at the Tambourah South Project after the completion of a cultural heritage survey and access track clearances by representatives of the Palyku Native Title Group.

Drilling will test multiple lithium-bearing pegmatite bodies defined by Infinity during 2022, where surface rock chip samples containing spodumene returned lithium assays up to 2.635 % Li2O.

Assays will be released in stages over the coming months, which will help plan Infinity’s 2023 follow-up exploration programs at Tambourah South.

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