[@benchmarkmin thread] Pertinent points on Tesla’s plan for produce lithium, the first auto maker to do so....
New lithium hydroxide facility expect to be co-located next to Terafactory in Austin
Tesla will build the USA’s first battery materials hub which in addition to lithium is expected to include cathode and nickel chemical production feeding into 4680 battery cell production
Tesla will convert spodumene concentrate from a variety of sources around the world into lithium hydroxide
Benchmark understands that Tesla will use a hydrometallurgical process to turn its spodumene concentrate into lithium hydroxide, eliminating the use of sulphuric acid.
Not only will it allow Tesla to control costs at this supply chain step, it will once again see the spodumene trade flows point towards the USA instead of China, a market that has dominated spodumene conversion for a generation
Due to inactivity in developing new raw material supply and the lack of a long term strategy, we are starting to see this sway of industrial power move downstream towards the auto OEMs.
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