High Voltage: The electric revolution has become an unstoppable force in 2021

Our High Voltage column wraps all the news driving ASX stocks with exposure to lithium, cobalt, graphite, nickel, rare earths, and vanadium.

Data from Benchmark’s Lithium ion Battery Database shows battery demand in Europe – the second biggest market behind China — is set to increase at an annualised rate of 40.1 per cent between 2020 and 2025.

The early resurgence in lithium prices in particular has caught many by surprise. Major producer Albemarle reckons demand is about to go through the proverbial roof:

Mammoth commodities producer Glencore also put some bold numbers on the volumes of battery metals needed to supply the world as it moves away from fossil fuels.

By 2050, copper demand will double, while cobalt and nickel will grow 300 per cent, it says.

Where’s it all going to come from?

It’s no wonder manganese, lithium, cobalt, nickel, HPA, rare earths and copper companies on the ASX are going gangbusters.

Here’s how a basket of ASX stocks with exposure to lithium, cobalt, graphite, nickel, rare earths, and vanadium are performing>>>

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

CODE	COMPANY	1 WEEK RETURN %	1 MONTH RETURN %	6 MONTH RETURN %	1 YEAR RETURN %	PRICE	MARKET CAP
PRL	Province Resources	254	360	174	1388	0.092	$ 58,938,865.45
QPM	Queensland Pacific	62	74	482	450	0.099	$ 82,099,386.60
PUR	Pursuit Minerals	55	34	265	812	0.051	$ 36,043,107.53
AXE	Archer Materials	54	130	154	521	1.2	$ 180,509,236.80
MLX	Metals X	31	70	174	135	0.23	$ 195,062,204.41
LKE	Lake Resources	31	170	1057	995	0.405	$ 359,154,142.55
COB	Cobalt Blue	28	10	330	231	0.43	$ 89,359,864.92
JRL	Jindalee Resources	27	36	272	566	1.9	$ 73,926,543.90
HXG	Hexagon Energy	33	0	80	100	0.11	$ 27,108,479.43
LYC	Lynas Rare Earths	22	38	147	184	6.16	$ 5,244,277,329.78
RNU	Renascor Resources	23	145	227	390	0.049	$ 64,962,683.53
IPT	Impact Minerals	21	44	-8	130	0.023	$ 39,179,501.70
HAS	Hastings Tech Metals	21	12	57	88	0.235	$ 289,034,902.32
OZL	OZ Minerals	18	13	55	127	22.65	$ 7,016,798,130.75
BKT	Black Rock Mining	16	50	246	273	0.18	$ 124,980,840.95
PLS	Pilbara Minerals	16	-3	254	277	1.13	$ 3,070,617,650.24
NIC	Nickel Mines	16	13	123	138	1.39	$ 3,269,537,766.30
IXR	Ionic Rare Earths	16	63	373	550	0.052	$ 150,265,574.24
SYR	Syrah Resources	14	15	216	164	1.3	$ 571,654,896.10
REE	Rarex	13	-4	88	271	0.13	$ 46,993,968.46
LEG	Legend Mining	13	4	-7	23	0.135	$ 334,779,465.13
ADD	Adavale Resources	12	-20	392	94	0.064	$ 17,703,025.97
JRV	Jervois Mining	12	4	51	117	0.52	$ 393,122,604.70
GXY	Galaxy Resources	11	0	141	169	2.8	$ 1,330,728,653.76
CTM	Centaurus Metals	11	6	82	324	0.89	$ 288,322,167.76
MIN	Mineral Resources	10	3	45	105	39.69	$ 7,127,099,562.79
GBR	Great Boulder Resources	10	-19	-19	28	0.043	$ 8,086,570.11
BHP	BHP	9	7	25	27	48.92	$ 139,397,687,964.08
TLG	Talga	9	3	172	278	1.65	$ 460,909,457.12
IGO	IGO	9	-2	55	21	7.03	$ 5,020,685,600.19
EMH	European Metals	9	12	270	389	1.37	$ 173,825,716.45
LPD	Lepidico	9	9	213	111	0.025	$ 124,508,232.53
ORE	Orocobre	8	2	81	60	5.28	$ 1,747,741,264.48
PLL	Piedmont Lithium	8	44	731	518	0.77	$ 999,164,740.15
PM8	Pensana	7	-9	134	622	1.66	$ 201,330,337.76
HNR	Hannans	7	-38	-6	-6	0.0075	$ 17,699,828.94
POS	Poseidon Nickel	7	-1	56	129	0.078	$ 199,468,454.49
MCR	Mincor Resources	6	-6	44	66	1.07	$ 444,817,680.78
PNN	PepinNini Minerals	6	41	406	69	0.45	$ 16,547,055.60
VR8	Vanadium Resources	5	-8	61	96	0.045	$ 17,216,762.15
G88	Golden Mile Resources	4	-10	-20	-10	0.047	$ 5,412,806.43
CLQ	Clean Teq	4	6	86	17	0.3	$ 252,493,315.53
AML	Aeon Metals	4	-14	-27	-14	0.12	$ 71,144,821.34
ESS	Essential Metals	4	-24	28	-11	0.13	$ 24,098,076.00
BSX	Blackstone	4	21	15	200	0.51	$ 162,525,255.95
LIT	Lithium Australia	3	-12	178	138	0.15	$ 134,321,859.00
WKT	Walkabout Resources	3	19	-20	0	0.16	$ 57,607,051.43
BUX	Buxton Resources	3	14	-3	-3	0.074	$ 8,843,603.08
MRC	Mineral Commodities	3	-7	64	44	0.41	$ 187,059,044.11
BOA	Boadicea Resources	2	-2	48	23	0.235	$ 14,604,250.31
ARU	Arafura Resource	2	-2	210	236	0.245	$ 274,914,146.05
TNG	TNG	2	-1	31	20	0.099	$ 119,951,715.84
PAN	Panoramic Resources	2	-7	128	-3	0.16	$ 297,382,530.58
ARR	American Rare Earths	2	-10	155	522	0.1	$ 31,632,702.62
TMT	Technology Metals	1	-8	94	192	0.35	$ 50,878,072.60
INR	Ioneer	2	66	357	159	0.48	$ 767,083,984.49
CXO	Core Lithium	0	16	456	558	0.25	$ 256,176,210.62
AUZ	Australian Mines	0	-20	9	71	0.024	$ 91,113,438.55
S2R	S2 Resources	0	-15	-19	90	0.175	$ 55,105,956.33
LML	Lincoln Minerals	0	0	33	100	0.008	$ 4,599,869.49
AJM	Altura Mining	0	0	0	13	0.07	$ 209,037,029.25
ATM	Aneka Tambang	0	0	0	0	1	$ 1,303,649.00
NMT	Neometals	0	7	103	109	0.375	$ 212,686,993.74
AVZ	AVZ Minerals	0	3	208	127	0.2	$ 563,582,209.13
CLA	Celsius Resources	0	7	167	336	0.048	$ 38,729,595.56
FFX	Firefinch	0	36	63	188	0.245	$ 195,477,120.25
HWK	Hawkstone Mining	-1	52	102	750	0.0425	$ 64,550,875.44
CZN	Corazon	-2	-5	-5	-26	0.057	$ 9,272,099.14
CHN	Chalice Mining	-2	-2	186	1417	4.4	$ 1,466,425,384.71
PGM	Platina Resources	-2	-4	13	183	0.051	$ 20,143,031.66
DEV	Devex Resources	-2	2	7	258	0.24	$ 63,597,114.00
MOH	Moho Resources	-2	-9	-38	-14	0.08	$ 7,400,970.35
GAL	Galileo Mining	-3	27	13	106	0.35	$ 49,369,915.73
PSC	Prospect Resources	-3	-17	-17	2	0.17	$ 54,794,911.22
ARL	Ardea Resources	-4	11	-4	14	0.545	$ 72,133,878.83
RLC	Reedy Lagoon	-4	23	200	800	0.027	$ 12,682,812.17
NTU	Northern Minerals	-4	16	56	14	0.05	$ 217,217,034.25
AVL	Australian Vanadium	-4	-4	109	100	0.024	$ 70,323,811.54
AQD	Ausquest	-4	5	-28	109	0.023	$ 16,933,317.03
GED	Golden Deeps	-4	-4	-28	-36	0.0115	$ 9,298,217.28
ASN	Anson Resources	-4	5	271	197	0.089	$ 75,084,041.93
EUR	European Lithium	-4	-35	38	-24	0.065	$ 60,181,480.97
LPI	Lithium Power International	-5	-18	64	0	0.295	$ 83,919,892.84
VRC	Volt Resources	-5	36	6	46	0.019	$ 36,768,077.72
SYA	Sayona Mining	-5	-20	311	215	0.037	$ 138,365,660.61
QXR	Qx Resources	-5	6	-5	6	0.018	$ 9,607,721.80
MAN	Mandrake Resources	-6	-7	103	427	0.079	$ 26,832,377.51
GME	GME Resources	-6	-11	72	13	0.062	$ 33,968,882.73
MNS	Magnis Energy Technologies	-6	81	35	199	0.29	$ 243,111,550.97
VMC	Venus Metals	-7	-2	-11	-7	0.21	$ 31,726,523.43
SGQ	St George Mining	-7	-15	17	-2	0.098	$ 49,850,794.22
GLN	Galan Lithium	-7	-9	210	92	0.48	$ 106,669,932.29
ESR	Estrella Resources	-7	-15	353	656	0.068	$ 63,564,321.87
TON	Triton Minerals	-7	0	10	50	0.054	$ 60,126,807.55
BSM	Bass Metals	-7	30	117	30	0.0065	$ 24,130,054.41
VUL	Vulcan Energy	-7	-31	1120	2578	6.83	$ 730,756,940.80
RXL	Rox Resources	-8	-3	-39	20	0.036	$ 73,793,824.67
LTR	Liontown Resources	-8	3	193	215	0.41	$ 724,464,136.40
BAR	Barra Resources	-8	-12	-8	21	0.023	$ 16,262,594.42
AOU	Auroch Minerals	-8	8	189	318	0.28	$ 69,418,040.55
ARN	Aldoro Resources	-8	29	135	35	0.27	$ 18,219,816.81
SRI	Sipa Resources	-9	-8	-31	7	0.059	$ 10,313,986.18
CWX	Carawine Resources	-11	-14	-9	-22	0.21	$ 21,777,980.40
RFR	Rafaella Resources	-11	5	21	-27	0.08	$ 10,232,445.68
SLZ	Sultan Resources	-11	-9	15	117	0.195	$ 13,906,877.80
CNJ	Conico	-12	3	88	275	0.03	$ 24,130,284.10
SBR	Sabre Resources	-13	-13	40	250	0.007	$ 11,781,445.54
FGR	First Graphene	-13	-10	93	58	0.26	$ 131,183,907.65
ADV	Ardiden	-14	-22	13	260	0.018	$ 38,575,113.91
ALY	Alchemy Resources	-15	0	0	34	0.017	$ 12,100,382.15
INF	Infinity Lithium	-18	-13	127	251	0.205	$ 60,778,229.80
STK	Strickland Metals	-19	-37	-48	30	0.026	$ 10,949,939.55
BEM	Blackearth Minerals	-19	173	285	317	0.15	$ 22,517,700.04
MLS	Metals Australia	-20	-20	-20	100	0.002	$ 8,381,807.15
AGY	Argosy Minerals	-22	-13	118	61	0.12	$ 143,781,245.96
TKL	Traka Resources	-22	-19	-12	323	0.021	$ 10,635,766.43
AZS	Azure Minerals	-27	-31	100	154	0.33	$ 103,208,716.54
EGR	Ecograf	-30	112	734	767	0.67	$ 304,838,917.53

Small Cap Standouts

QUEENSLAND PACIFIC MINING (ASX:QPM) +62%

The battery metals focused nickel-cobalt play will double the size of its TECH project due to strong offtake interest from big battery makers like LG Chem and Samsung.

QPM, which is targeting first production in 2023, says a larger project “will have lower capital intensity and higher margins”.

PURSUIT MINERALS (ASX:PUR) +55%

Former vanadium explorer Pursuit is up ~400 per cent since picking up the Warrior project near Chalice Mining’s (ASX:CHN) mammoth Julimar discovery in WA late last year.

Now, five strong electromagnetic (EM) conductors — with potential to be platinum group elements, nickel, and copper — have been identified.

The explorer plans to start drill testing high priority targets during the second/third quarter (April–September) this year.

LAKE RESOURCES (ASX:LKE) +31%

This gravity-defying lithium junior is up +1057 per cent over the past six months.

The company is proposing a revolutionary direct extraction technology to recover high-purity lithium products from its Kachi project and three other lithium brine projects in Argentina.

“At a market capitalisation of around $300m the stock isn’t cheap, but it has the momentum of the “second wave” of lithium interest,” says Guy le Page.

“It has found itself in the right place at the right time with a potentially superior processing technology that could propel the company into the lowest cost quartile of lithium carbonate producers.”

COBALT BLUE (ASX:COB) +28%

It’s stocks like Cobalt Blue, one of the last remaining pure play cobalt explorers on the ASX, who will benefit the most from a price which is about to breach $US50,000/t.

COB is planning pilot plant cobalt production for Q1 this year. A pilot plant is smaller version of the real thing, designed to test whether the process works in the real world.

COB says it is currently working with 15 global partners who have expressed interest in receiving cobalt samples, including big players like LG International, Mitsubishi Corporation and Sojitz Corporation.

Is there a battery metals stock missing from our list? Email [email protected]