Each week our High Voltage column wraps all the news driving ASX battery metals stocks with exposure to lithium, cobalt, graphite, manganese and vanadium.

Scroll down for a table showing the recent performance of 200 ASX battery metal stocks >>

INDUSTRY FOCUS

Cobalt spot prices are in the doldrums — and Chinese battery maker GEM is no longer buying from miner Glencore because of it.

This is because the market price has fallen below the agreed level under a contract signed when cobalt was peaking earlier this year.

Vanadium prices are settling down – and hopefully stabilising — with consultancy Mastermines reporting a Chinese spot price of $US19.50/lb for V2O5 flake, down from a recent peak of about $US37/lb.

And lithium prices have held up in the second half of the year – despite all the nay-saying, according to Benchmark Minerals Intelligence.

Transforming Australia into a major battery hub

Many believe that booming global demand for lithium-ion batteries gives Australia a “once in a generation” opportunity to become a major battery processing, manufacturing and trading hub – but it needs to get a move on.

Australia has all the raw materials needed to produce batteries.

This potentially gives the country “significant global supply-chain advantages”, a new Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) report says.

According to Future Smart Strategies, Australia earns only $1.13 billion, or 0.53 per cent of ultimate value of its exported lithium ore.

An estimated $213 billion of value is added overseas through electro-chemical processing, battery cell production, and product assembly.

Australia has all the battery metals required for lithium-ion battery manufacturing.
Australia has all the battery metals required for lithium-ion battery manufacturing.

The Austrade report says critical components in advanced battery production — precursor, anode, cathode, electrolyte — can be made here.

But the critical gap in the supply chain is Australia’s lack of battery manufacturing technology, which is why we need one of the world’s big battery cell manufacturers to set up shop Down Under.

Austrade reckons we need to do this through incentives.

A $2 billion 15GWh gigafactory in Townsville is already being developed by an international consortium called Imperium3, led by Boston Energy and Innovation, graphite company Magnis Energy Technologies (ASX:MNS), and US company Charge CCCV.

Magnis investor relations director Travis Peluso says labour costs will be “miniscule” for a large-scale Australian lithium ion battery maker, with raw materials like lithium, cobalt, manganese, and graphite usually making up 80 per cent of the cost.

With a project of Imperium3’s scale and size, labour costs are a very small portion of the overall cost of producing a battery cell, he says.

“The labour cost component in [battery] manufacturing is miniscule,” he says.

“It’s certainly under two per cent, probably closer to one per cent of the cost.”

Labour costs are one of the key barriers to entry for large scale manufacturing in Australia, but in battery-making a high level of automation takes care of much of the process.

“When you look at the cost of producing a battery cell, around 80 per cent of the cost is in those raw materials,” Mr Peluso says.

“There are cost advantages in sourcing those raw materials, like lithium, locally.”

SMALL CAP SPOTLIGHT

Over the past 12 months only 30 stocks have come out ahead, with Argentina-focused explorer Galan Lithium (ASX:GLN) and China Magnesium (ASX:CMC) two standouts up 204 per cent and 114 per cent over the year.

Vanadium explorers Tando (ASX:TNO), Technology Metals (ASX:TMT), and Australian Vanadium (ASX:AVL) also performed well, up 76 per cent, 70 per cent, and 55 per cent respectively over the past year.

It’s been a slightly better week in the lead-up to Christmas for battery metals-facing stocks on the ASX.

Of the ~200 battery metals stocks on our list, about 67 lost ground, 58 were ahead and 64 were steady.

This week’s standout performers included Metals Australia (ASX:MLS) up 33 per cent to 0.4c, TNG (ASX:TNG) up 29 per cent to 12c, and High Grade Metals (ASX:HGM) up 27 per cent to 1.4c.

But Northern Cobalt (ASX:N27) topped the charts, up 38 per cent to 9c.

On Friday, Northern Cobalt told investors its “Running Creek” prospect had become a priority target after an IP survey identified what could be a huge copper and cobalt deposit at depth.

Investors loved the news, sending the explorer up almost 30 per cent to 8.5c by midday.

Induced Polarisation (IP) is a geophysical method used to identify the electrical chargeability of minerals below the earth’s surface, which helps explorers focus their drilling programs.

Northern Cobalt managing director Michael Schwarz told Stockhead the company had changed its plans and would drill Running Creek as soon as possible.

“We are pretty excited about this anomaly because it seems to be [directly linked] to the [existing] copper and cobalt mineralisation,” he said.

“The mineralisation could be both deeper and of a larger scale than we had previously thought.”

Here’s a table of ASX battery metal stocks with exposure to lithium, cobalt, graphite, manganese and vanadium>>>

Scroll or swipe to reveal table. Click headings to sort. Best viewed on a laptop

 

ASX Ticker Company Name One Week Price Change 12 Month Price Change Current Price (Mon Intraday) Market Cap
WML WOOMERA MINING 0 -91.9 0.081 9.1M
MTC METALSTECH 11.11111111 -89.65517241 0.03 3.5M
WCN WHITE CLIFF MINERALS -7.142857143 -89.51612903 0.013 3.0M
PNN PEPINNINI LITHIUM -16.66666667 -88.37209302 0.005 3.4M
KLH KALIA 0 -86.66666667 0.002 5.0M
RLC REEDY LAGOON 0 -84.21052632 0.006 2.4M
FCC FIRST COBALT -9.090909091 -83.7398374 0.2 67.9M
MEI METEORIC RESOURCES 0 -81.53846154 0.012 6.9M
MRR MINREX RESOURCES 0 -80 0.02 1.9M
LML LINCOLN MINERALS 0 -80 0.007 4.0M
MTH MITHRIL RESOURCES 20 -80 0.006 2.0M
N27 NORTHERN COBALT 38.46153846 -79.54545455 0.09 4.2M
CRL COMET RESOURCES 3.703703704 -79.25925926 0.028 6.5M
BSX BLACKSTONE MINERALS -25 -79 0.105 11.5M
NWC NEW WORLD COBALT -20.83333333 -78.16091954 0.019 10.6M
PSM PENINSULA MINES 0 -77.77777778 0.004 3.0M
RIE RIEDEL RESOURCES 20 -77.5 0.018 7.5M
ADV ARDIDEN 0 -76.47058824 0.004 7.5M
EUC EUROPEAN COBALT -2.222222222 -76.21621622 0.044 33.5M
MQR MARQUEE RESOURCES -11.42857143 -76.15384615 0.062 2.7M
4CE FORCE COMMODITIES 14.28571429 -76.11940299 0.016 6.8M
PUR PURSUIT MINERALS -3.333333333 -75.83333333 0.029 3.9M
GPP GREENPOWER ENERGY 0 -75 0.004 5.5M
CLQ CLEAN TEQ HOLDINGS 2.564102564 -73.94136808 0.4 294.8M
CCZ CASTILLO COPPER -11.11111111 -72.88135593 0.016 11.5M
DHR DARK HORSE RESOURCES 0 -72.22222222 0.005 9.9M
SUH SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE 0 -71.875 0.045 4.0M
HGM HIGH GRADE METALS 27.27272727 -70.83333333 0.014 6.3M
SI6 SIX SIGMA METALS 0 -70.58823529 0.005 2.3M
TKM TREK METALS 14.28571429 -70.37037037 0.008 2.5M
BMT BERKUT MINERALS -10 -70 0.072 3.9M
LRS LATIN RESOURCES 0 -70 0.003 8.6M
INF INFINITY LITHIUM -13.88888889 -68.20512821 0.062 11.8M
AMD ARROW MINERALS 7.692307692 -68.18181818 0.014 4.4M
LPD LEPIDICO 0 -67.34693878 0.016 53.7M
BGS BIRIMIAN -2.5 -66.94915254 0.195 46.7M
BAT BATTERY MINERALS 4.545454545 -66.66666667 0.023 24.5M
CAD CAENEUS MINERALS 0 -66.66666667 0.001 14.1M
CDT CASTLE MINERALS 11.11111111 -66.66666667 0.01 2.2M
COB COBALT BLUE -2.325581395 -65.2892562 0.21 26.8M
JRV JERVOIS MINING 17.5 -65.18518519 0.235 51.4M
SRN SUREFIRE RESOURCES 20 -64.70588235 0.006 2.6M
CUL CULLEN RESOURCES 4.761904762 -64.51612903 0.022 3.1M
PGM PLATINA RESOURCES 11.11111111 -63.63636364 0.06 15.8M
AVZ AVZ MINERALS -5 -62.92682927 0.076 145.4M
CZN CORAZON MINING 20 -62.5 0.006 7.6M
THX THUNDELARRA -13.33333333 -61.76470588 0.013 8.3M
LI3 LITHIUM CONSOLIDATED 4.838709677 -61.76470588 0.065 5.7M
MZN MARINDI METALS 0 -61.53846154 0.005 11.9M
AZI ALTA ZINC 0 -61.53846154 0.005 6.8M
RMX RED MOUNTAIN MINING 0 -61.11111111 0.007 5.4M
MCT METALICITY 0 -60 0.016 9.6M
ARL ARDEA RESOURCES -5.172413793 -59.8540146 0.55 56.7M
SYR SYRAH RESOURCES 6.5830721 -59.33014354 1.7 594.4M
SYA SAYONA MINING -18.18181818 -59.09090909 0.018 30.9M
PSC PROSPECT RESOURCES -4.166666667 -58.18181818 0.023 47.1M
CFE CAPE LAMBERT RESOURCES 0 -58.13953488 0.018 18.2M
THR THOR MINING 16.66666667 -57.57575758 0.028 20.1M
AUZ AUSTRALIAN MINES 0 -57.29166667 0.041 115.3M
CGM COUGAR METALS 0 -57.14285714 0.003 2.9M
NVA NOVA MINERALS -9.090909091 -56.52173913 0.02 15.5M
CNJ CONICO 0 -56.09756098 0.018 6.3M
DEV DEVEX RESOURCES 7.142857143 -55.44554455 0.045 4.1M
VMS VENTURE MINERALS 0 -55.31914894 0.021 10.9M
AJM ALTURA MINING -5.405405405 -52.05479452 0.175 327.7M
LPI LITHIUM POWER -7.407407407 -51.92307692 0.25 64.3M
EMH EUROPEAN METALS -10.81081081 -51.47058824 0.33 49.9M
OKR OKAPI RESOURCES -2.272727273 -50.57471264 0.215 7.4M
LKE LAKE RESOURCES -3.157894737 -50.27027027 0.092 32.9M
CZR COZIRON RESOURCES -8.333333333 -50 0.011 19.6M
SGQ ST GEORGE MINING 0 -50 0.14 40.2M
SCI SILVER CITY MINERALS 0 -50 0.014 3.4M
SBR SABRE RESOURCES 0 -50 0.007 2.8M
MTB MOUNT BURGESS 0 -50 0.005 2.2M
BDI BLINA MINERALS 0 -50 0.001 4.4M
TAR TARUGA MINERALS -7.407407407 -49.49494949 0.05 7.1M
LIT LITHIUM AUSTRALIA 1.052631579 -49.47368421 0.096 43.6M
MLM METALLICA MINERALS 0 -49.09090909 0.028 9.0M
KTA KRAKATOA RESOURCES 4 -49.01960784 0.026 3.1M
INR IONEER -5.555555556 -47.69230769 0.17 264.6M
BYH BRYAH RESOURCES -9.183673469 -47.64705882 0.089 5.4M
CAZ CAZALY RESOURCES 9.523809524 -46.51162791 0.023 5.3M
TKL TRAKA RESOURCES 10 -46.34146341 0.022 7.0M
NMT NEOMETALS 0 -46.34146341 0.22 122.4M
GPX GRAPHEX MINING -2.631578947 -45.58823529 0.185 14.9M
EUR EUROPEAN LITHIUM 0 -45.23809524 0.115 63.2M
AXE ARCHER EXPLORATION -2.941176471 -45 0.066 14.3M
ARU ARAFURA RESOURCES -16.66666667 -44.44444444 0.045 33.5M
TON TRITON MINERALS 7.142857143 -44.44444444 0.045 40.8M
SXX SOUTHERN CROSS 0 -44.44444444 0.005 5.4M
ASN ANSON RESOURCES 0 -44.16666667 0.067 34.2M
HWK HAWKSTONE MINING -10 -43.75 0.018 10.3M
ARM AURORA MINERALS 0 -43.24324324 0.021 2.5M
KAI KAIROS MINERALS 0 -43.18181818 0.025 21.3M
ESR ESTRELLA RESOURCES -15.78947368 -42.85714286 0.016 8.4M
RNU RENASCOR RESOURCES 0 -41.93548387 0.018 20.8M
GME GME RESOURCES 0 -41.86046512 0.075 36.2M
BPL BROKEN HILL PROSPECTING -3.03030303 -41.81818182 0.032 4.6M
AUR AURIS MINERALS -12.19512195 -40.98360656 0.036 15.1M
GED GOLDEN DEEPS 0 -40.98360656 0.036 6.2M
TRT TODD RIVER RESOURCES -5.063291139 -40.94488189 0.075 11.4M
BAR BARRA RESOURCES -3.225806452 -40 0.03 16.2M
FEL FE 21.42857143 -39.28571429 0.017 6.3M
SVM SOVEREIGN METALS -5.405405405 -39.13043478 0.07 18.8M
ENT ENTERPRISE METALS -15.38461538 -38.88888889 0.011 4.2M
MZZ MATADOR MINING -4.545454545 -38.23529412 0.21 11.3M
POW PROTEAN ENERGY -10.52631579 -37.03703704 0.017 6.1M
ZNC ZENITH MINERALS 2.702702703 -36.66666667 0.076 16.8M
BAU BAUXITE RESOURCES 0 -36.36363636 0.056 12.0M
CHN CHALICE GOLD 4.545454545 -36.11111111 0.115 32.0M
DEG DE GREY MINING -4 -35.13513514 0.12 52.9M
PIO PIONEER RESOURCES 0 -34.7826087 0.015 21.1M
AGY ARGOSY MINERALS -5.882352941 -34.69387755 0.16 152.4M
MNS MAGNIS ENERGY TECHNOLOGY 1.694915254 -34.06593407 0.3 183.3M
CLA CELSIUS RESOURCES 6.451612903 -34 0.066 52.6M
BKT BLACK ROCK MINING 12.90322581 -33.96226415 0.035 18.8M
PLL PIEDMONT LITHIUM -4.347826087 -33.33333333 0.11 73.4M
GXY GALAXY RESOURCES 1.219512195 -33.06451613 2.49 998.4M
ORE OROCOBRE 0.892857143 -32.57756563 3.955 1.0B
RTR RUMBLE RESOURCES -4.347826087 -32.30769231 0.044 17.1M
HMX HAMMER METALS 9.090909091 -31.42857143 0.024 7.0M
LTR LIONTOWN RESOURCES 0 -30.3030303 0.023 26.1M
TLG TALGA RESOURCES 5.194805195 -30.17241379 0.405 89.3M
OAR OAKDALE RESOURCES 23.52941176 -30 0.021 1.4M
AEE AURA ENERGY 0 -28 0.018 19.3M
LCD LATITUDE CONSOLIDATED 0 -27.27272727 0.016 5.0M
PLS PILBARA MINERALS -1.315789474 -26.82926829 0.75 1.3B
BSM BASS METALS -6.666666667 -26.31578947 0.014 35.5M
E25 ELEMENT 25 -15 -26.08695652 0.17 14.3M
PM1 PURE MINERALS 15.38461538 -25 0.015 4.4M
AYR ALLOY RESOURCES -25 -25 0.003 4.7M
KDR KIDMAN RESOURCES -5.226480836 -24.86187845 1.36 561.4M
ARE ARGONAUT RESOURCES 0 -24.13793103 0.022 34.2M
VXR VENTUREX RESOURCES -2.777777778 -22.22222222 0.175 42.0M
CXO CORE LITHIUM 15.09433962 -21.79487179 0.061 38.0M
TAW TAWANA RESOURCES 0 -21.51898734 0.31 179.2M
IDA INDIANA RESOURCES 3.773584906 -20.28985507 0.055 5.3M
KSN KINGSTON RESOURCES -11.11111111 -20 0.016 19.0M
MLS METALS AUSTRALIA 33.33333333 -20 0.004 7.0M
NZC NZURI COPPER 3.703703704 -20 0.28 82.9M
HIG HIGHLANDS 2.631578947 -18.75 0.078 80.9M
KNL KIBARAN RESOURCES -3.846153846 -16.66666667 0.125 35.8M
PMY PACIFICO MINERALS 0 -16.66666667 0.005 8.1M
MIN MINERAL RESOURCES 6.504922644 -16.32596685 15.145 2.7B
SVD SCANDIVANADIUM 5 -16 0.021 7.4M
HAV HAVILAH RESOURCES -13.51351351 -15.78947368 0.16 34.9M
HNR HANNANS 0 -14.28571429 0.012 21.9M
AML AEON METALS 4.166666667 -13.79310345 0.25 149.8M
AOU AUROCH MINERALS 4 -12.35955056 0.078 7.7M
SRK STRIKE RESOURCES 4 -8.771929825 0.052 7.6M
VRC VOLT RESOURCES 0 -8.333333333 0.022 33.5M
TNG TNG 29.03225806 -7.692307692 0.12 115.6M
ORN ORION MINERALS 0 -7.407407407 0.025 46.8M
KOR KORAB RESOURCES 0 -7.407407407 0.025 7.7M
ZEU ZEUS RESOURCES 0 -7.142857143 0.013 2.3M
WKT WALKABOUT RESOURCES 3.333333333 -7 0.093 28.9M
ADN ANDROMEDA METALS -14.28571429 0 0.006 7.6M
DTM DART MINING 0 0 0.007 6.5M
PAN PANORAMIC RESOURCES 0 0.267379679 0.375 183.0M
S32 SOUTH32 9.046052632 2.950310559 3.315 16.7B
IRC INTERMIN RESOURCES -6.896551724 3.846153846 0.135 33.0M
SO4 SALT LAKE POTASH 5.434782609 4.301075269 0.485 99.1M
VMC VENUS METALS 6.666666667 6.666666667 0.16 15.3M
RIO RIO TINTO 5.434329395 7.49610316 75.86 110.0B
EME ENERGY METALS 0 11.11111111 0.1 21.0M
HXG HEXAGON RESOURCES 7.407407407 11.53846154 0.145 42.3M
POS POSEIDON NICKEL -2.325581395 13.51351351 0.042 111.0M
VML VITAL METALS 0 14.28571429 0.008 15.7M
GWR GWR GROUP 0 16.66666667 0.105 26.6M
SEI SPECIALITY METALS 16.66666667 16.66666667 0.014 6.7M
BUX BUXTON RESOURCES -7.142857143 18.18181818 0.13 17.7M
GBE GLOBE METALS AND MINING 0 20 0.018 8.4M
RDS REDSTONE RESOURCES 0 23.07692308 0.016 8.4M
IEC INTRA ENERGY -9.090909091 25 0.01 3.9M
FGR FIRST GRAPHENE 0 30.76923077 0.17 66.6M
DGR DGR GLOBAL 0 31.31313131 0.13 82.8M
CGN CRATER GOLD MINING -20 33.33333333 0.016 3.4M
CZI CASSINI RESOURCES -1.111111111 36.92307692 0.089 30.8M
BOA BOADICEA RESOURCES 28.57142857 38.46153846 0.18 9.5M
CHK COHIBA MINERALS 0 50 0.015 10.0M
ANW AUS TIN MINING 0 54.54545455 0.017 33.6M
AVL AUSTRALIAN VANADIUM -6.666666667 55.55555556 0.028 48.3M
TMT TECHNOLOGY METALS 4.166666667 70.45454545 0.375 26.3M
TNO TANDO RESOURCES -5.376344086 76 0.088 17.0M
OMH OM HLDGS -1.119402985 87.94326241 1.325 1.0B
CMC CHINA MAGNESIUM 0 114.2857143 0.03 10.6M
GLN GALAN LITHIUM -5.660377358 204.8780488 0.25 24.7M
JMS JUPITER MINES -3.636363636 227.1604938 0.265 519.1M
BEM BLACKEARTH MINERALS -2.298850575 0.085 5.2M
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