Why lithium is critical for battery production

Rio Tinto (RIO) recently announced its agreement to acquire Arcadian Lithium (ALTM) in a deal valued at $6.7 billion, positioning the company to become the world’s third-largest lithium miner. CRU Group vice president of base and battery metals Frank Nikolic joins to discuss his outlook on the lithium market.

Nikolic emphasizes that lithium is “a universal commodity,” noting that as the world moves away from fossil fuels, he predicts lithium will be “used extensively.” Despite current prices being down due to oversupply, Nikolic points out that “mining deals are always long-term commitments.” He suggests investors look at this from a 5-10-year perspective, projecting that demand will grow approximately fourfold during that period.

Explaining lithium’s critical importance, Nikolic states, “It is the right size, the right chemical characteristics, electrical chemical characteristics to be viable for this. It’s the best thing to do. The only next thing to consider is the sodium ion, but that’s a long way from being commercialized, so this is all we have, and it’s universally used across all the battery chemistries.”