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

Last week, it was US-based lithium major Albemarle upgrading its lithium demand projections to 1.2 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) by 2025.

Now Chilean lithium company SQM has joined the party.

“Demand growth in 2018 surprised us again surpassing 27 per cent, and is expect to grow at rates above 20 per cent in 2019,” SQM says.

“Beyond 2019, demand growth continues to look extremely healthy, making us believe that the one million ton per year lithium market may happen sooner than originally anticipated.”

The company also confirmed a few things along the way.

The main one – that there’s no way it’s not going to ramp to 180,000 tonnes of LCE by 2021.

This ambitious expansion was supposed to be done in three phases; 48,000 – 70,000 million tonnes in 2018, 70,000 – 120,000 million tonnes in 2019, and 120,000 – 180,000 million tonnes by 2021.

To put that number in perspective, an estimated 180,000 tonnes of LCE was produced globally in 2018.

After some initial delays, SQM’s language has changed.

Gone are the deadlines; SQM now says it will “continue to work to bring our capacity to 180,000 tonnes per year in the coming years”.

Sales volumes are now expected to be “slightly higher” in 2019.

So much for 120,000 tonnes; SQM say it expects to sell just under 50,000 tonnes in 2019.

via GIPHY

 

The EV landscape just changed (again)

If we’re talking about news that impacts the battery metals supply chain – this one is extremely significant.

EV trailblazer Tesla is still setting the bar by dropping the price of its Model 3 to $US35,000 ($49,300).

It’s significant because the prevailing price differential between combustion engines and EVs is one of the only things holding back demand.

A $US35,000 price-tag makes the vehicle available to the next bracket of consumers.

Whether Tesla is making money at these prices remains to be seen but either way, the announcement could force other carmakers to follow its lead.

Also it has Dog Mode, which is very important.

Small Cap Spotlight

Of the companies on our list, about 85 lost ground, 57 were ahead and 50 were steady this week.

DRC-based copper-cobalt play Nzuri Copper (SX:NZC) leapt 26 per cent for the week after receiving a $109m takeover offer.

The all-cash offer from $2.5 billion Chinese company Chengtun Mining values Nzuri at 37c per share, and management wants shareholders to accept it.

Nzuri told investors that the deal would “crystallise certain value” at a time when resources development projects – especially cobalt — faced “considerable funding hurdles and a range of market related and strategic risks”.

The offer was 42 per cent higher than the last closing price of 26c, and a 64 per cent premium to the 3-month volume weighted average price.

That’s still well down on the 48c high reached in mid-January last year.

Nzuri is developing the Kalongwe project in the Congo, which it calls “the most advanced copper-cobalt development asset on the ASX”.

“If Kalongwe was located anywhere other than the Democratic Republic of Congo it would be a genuine rock star, spinning off fat profits from its shallow orebody which has an average grade of close to 3 per cent copper and 0.3 per cent cobalt, material which is expected to cost less than $US1 per pound to produce,” Tim Treadgold wrote in December.

Lithium producer Altura Mining (ASX:AJM) jumped 28 per cent to 16c for the week, paring some of its massive share price losses over the past year.

Altura is now talking nameplate capacity at the recently-commissioned Pilgangoora project in WA multiple times.

“We now have a high-level of confidence that we can achieve nameplate capacity in the near future,” Managing Director James Brown says.

Here’s how that looks, chart-style:

Also up 25 per cent for the week – and a whopping 257 per cent for the year — on no news was Galan Lithium (ASX:GLN).

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

Ticker Name 1 Week Price Change % 1 Year Price Change % Share Price [Mar 01] Market Cap
MTB MOUNT BURGESS MINING 33.3333 -42.8571 0.004 $1,807,517.63
AJM ALTURA MINING 28 -56.7568 0.16 $303,583,104.00
NZC NZURI COPPER 26 -1.5625 0.32 $93,210,232.00
GLN GALAN LITHIUM 25 257.1429 0.545 $56,070,736.00
PMY PACIFICO MINERALS 25 -28.5714 0.005 $8,232,189.50
PNN PEPINNINI LITHIUM 25 -84.375 0.004 $3,603,372.25
ARL ARDEA RESOURCES 23.2558 -61.4545 0.53 $55,856,920.00
TKL TRAKA RESOURCES 23.0769 -72.8814 0.016 $5,301,136.50
HNR HANNANS 22.2222 -50 0.01 $21,867,500.00
LKE LAKE RESOURCES 18.5185 -60 0.066 $23,433,074.00
TLG TALGA RESOURCES 18.0723 -40.6061 0.51 $106,914,400.00
COB COBALT BLUE HOLDINGS 17.8571 -75.7353 0.16 $20,557,934.00
ADV ARDIDEN 16.6667 -79.4118 0.0035 $5,869,081.00
FCC FIRST COBALT 16.2162 -81.6239 0.215 $72,954,192.00
BGS BIRIMIAN 15.625 -72.9927 0.185 $48,934,372.00
IEC INTRA ENERGY 15.3846 -16.6667 0.015 $5,815,860.50
HXG HEXAGON RESOURCES 15.3846 -23.0769 0.15 $43,767,508.00
SYA SAYONA MINING 14.2857 -61.9048 0.024 $41,310,240.00
CDT CASTLE MINERALS 14.2857 -70.3704 0.008 $1,790,367.75
PAN PANORAMIC RESOURCES 13.9535 6.5217 0.47 $242,318,704.00
ORE OROCOBRE 12.9412 -41.2844 3.78 $1,004,286,720.00
NMT NEOMETALS 11.9048 -32.7441 0.24 $127,833,952.00
PLL PIEDMONT LITHIUM 11.1111 -33.3333 0.11 $73,741,840.00
PGM PLATINA RESOURCES 10.4478 -40.8 0.076 $19,545,342.00
PSC PROSPECT RESOURCES 10 -54.1667 0.022 $45,014,528.00
THR THOR MINING 10 -56.8627 0.022 $15,771,812.00
CLQ CLEAN TEQ HOLDINGS 9.8361 -71.2446 0.34 $250,019,216.00
CUL CULLEN RESOURCES 8.3333 -58.2887 0.013 $2,203,042.75
MCT METALICITY 8.3333 -63.8889 0.013 $7,832,028.50
AXE ARCHER EXPLORATION 8.2192 -24.7619 0.079 $15,135,807.00
ERX EXORE RESOURCES 8.1081 48.1481 0.08 $37,243,392.00
PLS PILBARA MINERALS 7.971 -19.0217 0.7275 $1,299,662,464.00
PM1 PURE MINERALS 7.1429 -11.7647 0.015 $4,715,686.00
IRC INTERMIN RESOURCES 7.1429 -37.5 0.15 $35,308,268.00
SO4 SALT LAKE POTASH 6 17.7778 0.53 $109,323,408.00
KSN KINGSTON RESOURCES 5.5556 -5 0.019 $23,240,770.00
CNJ CONICO 5.5556 -50 0.018 $6,683,407.00
GXY GALAXY RESOURCES 5.2885 -37.4286 2.14 $892,477,632.00
BPL BROKEN HILL PROSPECTING 5.2632 -71.0145 0.02 $2,957,668.00
WKT WALKABOUT RESOURCES 4.7619 19.5652 0.11 $33,467,472.00
KNL KIBARAN RESOURCES 4.7619 -31.25 0.105 $30,324,906.00
BUX BUXTON RESOURCES 4.5455 0 0.115 $15,646,375.00
RTR RUMBLE RESOURCES 4.4444 -20.339 0.047 $16,780,330.00
TRT TODD RIVER RESOURCES 4.1667 -41.1538 0.075 $11,358,619.00
ARU ARAFURA RESOURCES 4.1667 -52.8943 0.05 $36,070,156.00
SVM SOVEREIGN METALS 3.8961 -33.3333 0.08 $28,181,894.00
BAT BATTERY MINERALS 3.8462 -67.4699 0.027 $30,069,132.00
CAZ CAZALY RESOURCES 3.5714 -35.5556 0.029 $6,751,752.50
CHN CHALICE GOLD MINES 3.4483 14.2857 0.155 $39,985,220.00
SYR SYRAH RESOURCES 3.3962 -59.9415 1.36 $470,770,592.00
JMS JUPITER MINES 3.0303 383.352 0.34 $666,056,960.00
RIO RIO TINTO 1.5524 27.4181 94.78 $140,174,704,640.00
BEM BLACKEARTH MINERALS 1.4706 -62.7027 0.066 $4,670,122.00
KDR KIDMAN RESOURCES 1.4599 -30.3258 1.36 $562,668,416.00
INF INFINITY LITHIUM 1.25 -44.1379 0.08 $15,403,859.00
ASN ANSON RESOURCES 1.2195 -55.1351 0.084 $41,115,072.00
S32 SOUTH32 1.0336 23.9987 3.935 $19,751,245,824.00
DGR DGR GLOBAL 0 38.8889 0.125 $76,647,736.00
TNO TANDO RESOURCES 0 32 0.11 $21,322,080.00
VMC VENUS METALS 0 29.1667 0.155 $14,029,777.00
HIG HIGHLANDS PACIFIC 0 25 0.1025 $112,005,216.00
BOA BOADICEA RESOURCES 0 23.0769 0.16 $8,455,228.00
SEI SPECIALITY METALS INTERNATIONAL 0 -4.1667 0.024 $12,762,158.00
POS POSEIDON NICKEL 0 -4.878 0.038 $103,065,368.00
GBE GLOBE METALS AND MINING 0 -5.8824 0.016 $7,454,758.00
VML VITAL METALS 0 -12.5 0.007 $12,198,279.00
ADN ANDROMEDA METALS 0 -14.2857 0.006 $8,132,995.50
EME ENERGY METALS 0 -16 0.105 $22,016,748.00
IDA INDIANA RESOURCES 0 -16.4623 0.05 $5,339,714.00
FGR FIRST GRAPHENE 0 -20 0.14 $57,915,060.00
CXO CORE LITHIUM 0 -20.5882 0.055 $37,501,200.00
CGN CRATER GOLD MINING 0 -22.2222 0.014 $25,431,294.00
MLS METALS AUSTRALIA 0 -25 0.003 $7,025,393.50
CMC CHINA MAGNESIUM 0 -25.9259 0.02 $8,248,771.00
ESR ESTRELLA RESOURCES 0 -27.2727 0.016 $7,870,132.50
SRK STRIKE RESOURCES 0 -30 0.042 $6,104,039.50
EMH EUROPEAN METALS HLDS LT- 0 -35 0.32 $47,658,724.00
DTM DART MINING 0 -35.8974 0.005 $4,640,214.00
AZI ALTA ZINC 0 -37.5 0.005 $6,844,828.50
KTA KRAKATOA RESOURCES 0 -40 0.024 $2,820,000.00
LI3 LITHIUM CONSOLIDATED 0 -40 0.06 $5,449,327.50
SXX SOUTHERN CROSS EXPLORATION 0 -44.4444 0.005 $5,384,216.00
DEV DEVEX RESOURCES 0 -47.0444 0.043 $3,953,426.50
AYR ALLOY RESOURCES 0 -50 0.003 $4,731,233.00
BDI BLINA MINERALS 0 -50 0.001 $4,363,882.50
RMX RED MOUNTAIN MINING 0 -50 0.005 $3,890,184.00
OKR OKAPI RESOURCES 0 -50 0.195 $6,868,573.50
GWR GWR GROUP 0 -52.381 0.1 $25,351,744.00
CZR COZIRON RESOURCES 0 -52.381 0.01 $17,855,512.00
BMT BERKUT MINERALS 0 -53.3333 0.077 $4,182,383.25
THX THUNDELARRA 0 -54.1667 0.011 $7,107,054.50
MZN MARINDI METALS 0 -54.5455 0.005 $9,923,794.00
ARM AURORA MINERALS 0 -57.1429 0.015 $1,756,999.25
AGY ARGOSY MINERALS 0 -59.375 0.13 $120,054,552.00
PSM PENINSULA MINES 0 -60 0.005 $4,314,360.50
SUH SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE MINING 0 -63.5294 0.031 $2,742,553.50
ZNC ZENITH MINERALS 0 -63.8889 0.07 $13,829,538.00
CAD CAENEUS MINERALS 0 -66.6667 0.001 $18,619,644.00
CZN CORAZON MINING 0 -66.6667 0.005 $6,326,416.50
KLH KALIA 0 -70 0.003 $7,543,042.00
SI6 SIX SIGMA METALS 0 -73.3333 0.004 $1,830,012.63
MEI METEORIC RESOURCES 0 -81.6327 0.009 $5,170,102.00
LRS LATIN RESOURCES 0 -81.8182 0.002 $5,818,230.00
MTC METALSTECH 0 -83.871 0.026 $2,923,847.25
MQR MARQUEE RESOURCES LIMITED 0 -84.2667 0.059 $2,521,912.75
NWC NEW WORLD COBALT 0 -86.3636 0.015 $8,272,764.50
4CE FORCE COMMODITIES 0 -89.899 0.01 $4,239,158.50
CZI CASSINI RESOURCES -1.087 16.6667 0.093 $31,441,146.00
MXR MAXIMUS RESOURCES -1.2821 -33.0435 0.077 $2,331,022.25
TAR TARUGA MINERALS -1.5385 -48.8 0.064 $9,034,703.00
AML AEON METALS -1.6949 18.3673 0.29 $170,366,224.00
MNS MAGNIS ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES L -1.7241 -27.8481 0.29 $174,173,760.00
VXR VENTUREX RESOURCES -2 2.0833 0.245 $63,363,440.00
AVZ AVZ MINERALS -2.2222 -82.7451 0.042 $83,092,304.00
BYH BRYAH RESOURCES -2.5 -42.2222 0.078 $4,746,309.50
ORN ORION MINERALS -3.125 -31.1111 0.031 $58,085,740.00
HAV HAVILAH RESOURCES -3.2258 -44.4444 0.15 $32,737,358.00
AUR AURIS MINERALS -3.2258 -48.2759 0.03 $12,260,440.00
KOR KORAB RESOURCES -3.3333 0 0.027 $8,956,823.00
MLM METALLICA MINERALS -3.4483 -47.1698 0.028 $9,056,527.00
GPX GRAPHEX MINING -4 -25 0.245 $20,956,830.00
HMX HAMMER METALS -4 -52 0.025 $7,543,130.00
LPI LITHIUM POWER INTERNATIONAL -4.2553 -46.4286 0.23 $59,065,628.00
VRC VOLT RESOURCES -4.3478 -37.1429 0.022 $32,020,520.00
EUC EUROPEAN COBALT -4.3478 -79.0476 0.022 $16,757,341.00
OMH OM HOLDINGS -4.3796 -8.6621 1.31 $967,596,544.00
DEG DE GREY MINING -4.5455 -19.2308 0.105 $44,431,360.00
GME GME RESOURCES -4.5977 -40.3614 0.083 $40,017,640.00
MZZ MATADOR MINING LIMITED -4.7619 -27.2727 0.2 $10,776,667.00
LIT LITHIUM AUSTRALIA -4.878 -51.25 0.078 $36,371,864.00
EUR EUROPEAN LITHIUM -5.3191 -64.4 0.09 $48,943,016.00
JRV JERVOIS MINING -5.6604 -56.5217 0.25 $55,815,748.00
BAR BARRA RESOURCES -5.7143 -28.2609 0.033 $17,783,394.00
INR IONEER -5.7143 -63.3333 0.175 $243,372,272.00
TMT TECHNOLOGY METALS AUSTRALIA -5.7692 -24.6154 0.255 $21,450,770.00
LCD LATITUDE CONSOLIDATED -5.8824 -48.3871 0.016 $4,402,864.00
MRR MINREX RESOURCES -5.8824 -79.2208 0.016 $1,534,043.63
AOU AUROCH MINERALS -6.1538 -44.5455 0.061 $6,130,716.00
RDS REDSTONE RESOURCES -6.25 29.8701 0.015 $7,064,464.50
AEE AURA ENERGY -6.25 -31.8182 0.015 $16,749,332.00
ANW AUS TIN MINING -6.25 -42.3077 0.015 $29,822,562.00
BDC BARDOC GOLD -6.25 -57.1429 0.044 $41,206,308.00
LPD LEPIDICO -7.1429 -46.9388 0.025 $87,260,552.00
SVD SCANDIVANADIUM -7.6923 -52.6316 0.012 $4,222,393.00
CLA CELSIUS RESOURCES -7.8431 -55.2381 0.047 $35,589,248.00
TNG TNG -8 -40.6452 0.093 $88,639,008.00
AVL AUSTRALIAN VANADIUM -8 -41.0256 0.023 $45,398,408.00
AUZ AUSTRALIAN MINES -8.1081 -67.619 0.034 $96,013,752.00
BSX BLACKSTONE MINERALS -8.1633 -79.5455 0.097 $9,738,429.00
A4N ALPHA HPA -8.3333 -31.25 0.12 $62,381,000.00
ENT ENTERPRISE METALS -8.3333 -45 0.011 $4,268,690.50
AMD ARROW MINERALS -8.3333 -68.5714 0.011 $3,459,946.75
BKT BLACK ROCK MINING -8.5366 41.5094 0.076 $40,387,852.00
LTR LIONTOWN RESOURCES -9.0909 -50.8292 0.02 $22,679,750.00
SGQ ST GEORGE MINING -9.6774 -36.3636 0.145 $41,736,268.00
GED GOLDEN DEEPS -10 -23.4043 0.036 $6,169,708.50
FEL FE -10 -65.3846 0.018 $6,725,303.50
NXE NEW ENERGY MINERALS -10 -88.75 0.026 $4,074,177.00
MIN MINERAL RESOURCES -10.6295 -18.745 15.05 $2,828,923,136.00
TON TRITON MINERALS -10.8696 -56.8421 0.042 $38,012,656.00
NVA NOVA MINERALS -11.1111 -40.7407 0.016 $12,418,146.00
RNU RENASCOR RESOURCES -11.1111 -52.9412 0.016 $18,454,790.00
N27 NORTHERN COBALT -11.1111 -91.2088 0.04 $2,052,536.25
PIO PIONEER RESOURCES -11.7647 -40 0.016 $22,561,682.00
PUR PURSUIT MINERALS -11.7647 -73.913 0.03 $5,355,820.00
ARE ARGONAUT RESOURCES -12 -8.3333 0.02 $34,196,372.00
VMS VENTURE MINERALS -12 -33.3333 0.022 $11,453,464.00
WCN WHITE CLIFF MINERALS -12.5 -94.3704 0.007 $2,078,777.63
CRL COMET RESOURCES -12.8205 -60 0.035 $7,886,300.00
CHK COHIBA MINERALS -13.3333 30 0.013 $8,639,985.00
E25 ELEMENT 25 -13.8889 -48.3333 0.155 $13,014,474.00
AUT AUTECO MINERALS -14.2857 20 0.006 $5,414,788.00
BSM BASS METALS -14.2857 -42.8571 0.012 $33,137,350.00
POW PROTEAN ENERGY -14.2857 -62.5 0.011 $3,737,247.00
TKM TREK METALS -14.2857 -76.9231 0.006 $1,873,821.63
LML LINCOLN MINERALS -14.2857 -82.3529 0.006 $3,449,902.00
MTH MITHRIL RESOURCES -14.2857 -85.5738 0.006 $2,534,335.25
KAI KAIROS MINERALS -15 -56.4103 0.017 $14,488,638.00
SBR SABRE RESOURCES -16.6667 -70.5882 0.005 $2,034,868.00
SCI SILVER CITY MINERALS -16.6667 -78.2609 0.01 $2,937,102.50
GPP GREENPOWER ENERGY -16.6667 -83.3333 0.0025 $3,913,426.00
RIE RIEDEL RESOURCES -16.6667 -87.5 0.01 $4,180,697.00
RLC REEDY LAGOON -16.6667 -89.3617 0.005 $2,011,358.50
BAU BAUXITE RESOURCES -17.8082 -1.6393 0.06 $12,865,340.00
HWK HAWKSTONE MINING -18.1818 -28 0.018 $10,265,724.00
CGM COUGAR METALS -25 -81.25 0.002 $1,466,704.00
SRN SUREFIRE RESOURCES -25 -82.5 0.003 $1,321,960.88
DHR DARK HORSE RESOURCES -25 -84.2105 0.003 $5,928,260.00
OAR OAKDALERESOURCES -34.7826 -57.1429 0.015 $1,006,315.25
HGM HIGH GRADE METALS -41.6667 -89.3939 0.007 $3,170,565.00
WML WOOMERA MINING -45 -96.7 0.038 $3,719,246.25
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