Lithium is the new poster child of the environmental revolution; a resource that is widely anticipated to power the mobile energy markets of the future. It is estimated that demand will reach 105-115,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) in 2011 - spurred by demand for lithium-ion batteries.
By 2020 the world could require as much as 290,000 to 380,000 tonnes of LCE, according Metal Bulletin Research’s forthcoming lithium report. More conservative growth is estimated by Chile-based consultancy signumBOX (187,000 tonnes), US consultancy TRU Group (249,000 tonnes), and Canada’s Byron Capital Markets (282,842 tonnes), but it seems safe to bet that future demand looks to at least double over the next decade.
Owing to a surge in demand for mobile energy devices, lithium juniors are now scrambling to join a few, elite producers. At the height of the rush the...