The Resource Angle

[JRP3]

Short interview with CEO of ELBM

Onshoring EV supply chain important given China dominance: Electra Battery Materials CEO

Trent Mell, CEO of Electra Battery Materials, joins BNN Bloomberg to discuss whether he found anything favourable in the budget for critical minerals and the status of the black mass recycling trial at his battery recycling facility.

www.bnnbloomberg.ca

 

[JRP3]

- American Battery Technology Company (the "Company") (OTCQX: ABML), an American critical battery materials company that is commercializing both its primary minerals manufacturing and secondary minerals lithium-ion battery recycling technologies, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement for the purchase and sale of an aggregate of 14,285,715 shares of common stock, Series A warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 14,285,715 shares of common stock and Series B warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 14,285,715 shares of common stock at a combined purchase price of $0.70 per share of common stock and accompanying warrants in a registered direct offering.

American Battery Technology Company Announces $10 Million Registered Direct Offering

American Battery Technology Company (the "Company") (OTCQX: ABML), an American critical battery materials company that is commercializing both its primary minerals manufacturing and secondary minerals lithium-ion battery recycling technologies, today announced that it has entered into a...

finance.yahoo.com

 

[nativewolf]

Ford secures nickel supplies with $4.5 billion investment

Ford announced it will be investing in a nickel processing facility in Indonesia, which will supply the automaker with battery materials.

www.teslarati.com

Thought you guys might find this of interest. Couldn't put this in the main thread. Lots of angst over there.

What does everyone on this thread think about Tesla copying Fords partnership with CATL?

 

[JRP3]

I don't know if it's "copying", Tesla has already been working with CATL for a while now.

 

[Cosmacelf]

Ford secures nickel supplies with $4.5 billion investment

Ford announced it will be investing in a nickel processing facility in Indonesia, which will supply the automaker with battery materials.

www.teslarati.com

Thought you guys might find this of interest. Couldn't put this in the main thread. Lots of angst over there.

What does everyone on this thread think about Tesla copying Fords partnership with CATL?

Tesla created this model way back with their partnership with Panasonic in building the Reno gigafactory. So, nothing really new here?

 

[nativewolf]

Tesla created this model way back with their partnership with Panasonic in building the Reno gigafactory. So, nothing really new here?

It's actually a quite different models. This model means CATL provides the technology to Ford or Tesla, it is more of a technology build & license agreement. It's much more comprehensive a model that pushes control and management of the factory onto Ford & Tesla. This is an important contrast with the initial gigafactory model. It is designed to meet the requirements of IRA and protects against conflicts. It pushes material sourcing needs onto Ford and Tesla. What's interesting to me is the speed at which Ford is moving, also the agreement shows that Ford struck a good agreement, the fact that Tesla copied it is proof.

Then Ford turns around copying Tesla on mineral supply.

All of which goes to show me that Ford is to be taken seriously. Perhaps their financials are just too F'd to make them a huge competitor. They have not done the things inside the vehicle (software/hardware) that would seem to be a pre-requisite to fully transitioning. However, what they have done seems to be done well. I compare that to pretty much all the others. VW putting software design and build in China, scraping battery plans, partnering with Samsung, etc just seems to be error after error.

Now that an elder OEM has struck a deal like this I could see a race by other OEMs to secure minerals. That's why I posted this here. Ford has made about 5 steps into EVs and they are all done well considering their starting point. If OEMs ignored Tesla will they pay attention to Ford?

 

[petit_bateau]

It's actually a quite different models. This model means CATL provides the technology to Ford or Tesla, it is more of a technology build & license agreement. It's much more comprehensive a model that pushes control and management of the factory onto Ford & Tesla. This is an important contrast with the initial gigafactory model. It is designed to meet the requirements of IRA and protects against conflicts. It pushes material sourcing needs onto Ford and Tesla. What's interesting to me is the speed at which Ford is moving, also the agreement shows that Ford struck a good agreement, the fact that Tesla copied it is proof.

Then Ford turns around copying Tesla on mineral supply.

All of which goes to show me that Ford is to be taken seriously. Perhaps their financials are just too F'd to make them a huge competitor. They have not done the things inside the vehicle (software/hardware) that would seem to be a pre-requisite to fully transitioning. However, what they have done seems to be done well. I compare that to pretty much all the others. VW putting software design and build in China, scraping battery plans, partnering with Samsung, etc just seems to be error after error.

Now that an elder OEM has struck a deal like this I could see a race by other OEMs to secure minerals. That's why I posted this here. Ford has made about 5 steps into EVs and they are all done well considering their starting point. If OEMs ignored Tesla will they pay attention to Ford?

It is worth remembering that Ford was preparing to make a serious push into BEVs (and PHEV) a decade ago, starting with pickups. They completely threw that plan in the bin when the 2008 crash happened simply in order to survive and stay independent. They were already edging towards a Ford-VW alliance of some description at that point due to cultural and technical and product compatabilities / minimum overlaps. That in turn meant Ford ditched the EV push and doubled down on big pickups and SUV to such cash in USA, whilst nigh-on abandoning Europe and smaller cars.

So what Ford is doing now is partly informed by what was planned a decade ago, they haven't completely started from scratch.

 

[nativewolf]

It is worth remembering that Ford was preparing to make a serious push into BEVs (and PHEV) a decade ago, starting with pickups. They completely threw that plan in the bin when the 2008 crash happened simply in order to survive and stay independent. They were already edging towards a Ford-VW alliance of some description at that point due to cultural and technical and product compatabilities / minimum overlaps. That in turn meant Ford ditched the EV push and doubled down on big pickups and SUV to such cash in USA, whilst nigh-on abandoning Europe and smaller cars.

So what Ford is doing now is partly informed by what was planned a decade ago, they haven't completely started from scratch.

I know it well. In 2007 I had a trademark they wanted. i beat them by a couple of days. If Bush Jr economic team had handled the housing crisis earlier (say in 2003/4) than Ford would likely have beaten everyone.

Ford leadership was very very very very very bitter about the USA bailout of GM. They concluded they should have done the same, it would have cleaned up the books but meant Ford family would have lost ownership stakes. Oh well. They took a financially prudent high road.

 

[JRP3]

Ford leadership was very very very very very bitter about the USA bailout of GM.

Don't know why since they testified to the government that the bailout was needed because without it Ford's suppliers would fail and Ford would also suffer.

 

[winfield100]

It is worth remembering that Ford was preparing to make a serious push into BEVs (and PHEV) a decade ago, starting with pickups. They completely threw that plan in the bin when the 2008 crash happened simply in order to survive and stay independent. They were already edging towards a Ford-VW alliance of some description at that point due to cultural and technical and product compatabilities / minimum overlaps. That in turn meant Ford ditched the EV push and doubled down on big pickups and SUV to such cash in USA, whilst nigh-on abandoning Europe and smaller cars.

So what Ford is doing now is partly informed by what was planned a decade ago, they haven't completely started from scratch.

@petit_bateau
actually 25 years and a bit more
Ford EV ranger truck. 1998- 2002 production, used lead acid batteries, drove one once as EVADC club member had one, If remember correctly based on 8v PBa not 6v for a weird reason. very low production. when switched to Li maybe 200 mile range (empty)

Ford Ranger EV - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[JRP3]

April 3, 2023 - Lake Resources NL (ASX: LKE; OTC: LLKKF) (“Lake” or “the Company”), in partnership
with its DLE technology partner, Lilac Solutions, Inc. (“Lilac”), are pleased to announce that
independent testing of lithium carbonate produced from their joint Kachi Project in Argentina has
confirmed grades and purity greater than 99.8%. Project Kachi is a world-class lithium development
project that is poised to lead the industry in the production of high-quality lithium with minimal
environmental footprint

https://lakeresources.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/lke_high-grade-lithium-carbonate_3-apr-23.pdf

 

[Cosmacelf]

So GM is investing in private startup EnergyX that has DLE (Direct Lithium Extraction) technology, but no resources. They plan to source lithium brine from other brine producers and then use their DLE technology (which isn't rocket science, it would be a series of filtration and other standard industrial processes) to produce lithium.

Personally, I think this isn't going to work. Anyone who has brine resources under their control is simply going to build their own DLE tech. unique to their specific brine (each brine is going to be different and have their own challenges).

As an alternative, I invested in the public company E3 Lithium (EEMMF for the US ticker) which has rights to brine in Alberta and has their own DLE technology to bring lithium to market. E3 just announced that they've been given the go-ahead to build their first pilot plant. They will be giving an investor presentation this Thursday.

 

[JRP3]

• Lake Resources (LKE) and its lithium extraction technology partner, Lilac Solutions, produce 2500 kilograms of lithium carbonate equivalent at Project Kachi in Argentina
• The companies say the lithium carbonate was produced with minimal environmental impact, with far less land and water used than conventional evaporation ponds

Lake Resources (ASX:LKE) and Lilac Solutions produce "milestone" LCE at Kachi, Argentina

Lake Resources (ASX:LKE) and its lithium extraction technology partner, Lilac Solutions, have produced 2500 kilograms of lithium carbonate equivalent at Project Kachi in Argentina.

themarketherald.com.au

 

[JRP3]

ELBM tanked 20% today

Electra Battery Materials Shares Dive as Facility-Construction Costs Soar

By Adriano Marchese Electra Battery Materials shares were down in early afternoon trading Thursday after the company said that costs of developing its...

www.marketwatch.com

 

[ggies07]

What do you guys think of this? Never knew about it until now...though, I thought Tesla uses special alloys that they created for the Y and Cybertruck...

Here is the article in this tweet:

Magnesium as the Metal of Dematerialization - Light Metal Age Magazine

Magnesium has a number of advantages that lend it to being the material of dematerialization for a sustainable future.

www.lightmetalage.com

https://twitter.com/x/status/1661002151567699975

 

[Cosmacelf]

So I'm researching various lithium mining plays and came across a conference taking place later in June:

Lithium Supply and Battery Raw Materials 2023

The Fastmarkets Lithium Supply and Battery Raw Materials Americas annual event is the largest global forum for lithium and battery raw materials.

www.fastmarkets.com

Seems that *all* lithium mining companies are attending/presenting. And look who else is attending:

If that isn't an invitation to invest in lithium mining companies before the off-take press releases go out, I don't know what is.

 

[wdolson]

So I'm researching various lithium mining plays and came across a conference taking place later in June:

Lithium Supply and Battery Raw Materials 2023

The Fastmarkets Lithium Supply and Battery Raw Materials Americas annual event is the largest global forum for lithium and battery raw materials.

www.fastmarkets.com

Seems that *all* lithium mining companies are attending/presenting. And look who else is attending:

View attachment 941265

If that isn't an invitation to invest in lithium mining companies before the off-take press releases go out, I don't know what is.

In your opinion what are the front runners for lithium players?

 

[Cosmacelf]

In your opinion what are the front runners for lithium players?

I am so not an expert. Still learning. I like E3 Lithium as a good mix between affordability (stock price isn’t too high), shown management execution (they’ve hit their milestones consistently), opportunity size (big enough), location (not too far away, in NA), conservative numbers (unlike some others, their economic analysis projects lower lithium prices), where they are at in the development timeline (building pilot plant now, will be done by 3Q).

They are at a sweet spot in timing in that they haven’t yet signed any off take deals, but that shoe could drop at any moment. I also like that they will be building their own refining plant (which Elon says is a bottleneck).

Only negative is that stock volume is so illiquid that it takes a long time to build a position. I think it took me two weeks to the buy $50K of it to not affect the stock price! I want to buy more, just wanted to do some more DD before buying more.

 

[JRP3]

I recommend following Trend Investing on SA, he covers many lithium producers as well as other battery material suppliers. His latest: Lithium Junior Miners News For The Month Of May 2023

 

[Cosmacelf]

So my E3 Lithium stock is back at where I bought it in the aftermath of a $5M stock offering at now a slight premium to current stock price. They seem to still be on track for prototype plant later this year.