An increased supply of lithium will be needed to meet future expected demand growth for lithium-ion batteries for transportation and energy storage. Lithium demand has tripled since 2017 and is set to grow tenfold by 2050 under the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario. Currently, the lithium market is adding demand growth of 250,000–300,000 tons of lithium carbonate equivalent (tLCE) per year, or about half the total lithium supply in 2021 of 540,000 tLCE. For comparison, demand growth in the oil market is projected to be approximately 1% to 2% over the next five years.
Leading experts estimate a supply deficit by the 2030s, creating pressure to increase lithium production and processing. Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, an information provider on the lithium-ion battery supply chain, estimates a 300,000 tLCE supply deficit by 2030 in its business-as-usual demand scenario. Albemarle, one of the largest lithium producers, estimates a 500,000 tLCE deficit by then. Deutsche Bank sees an even greater shortage of 768,000 tLCE by 2030.
Alkemy Capital Investments plc (LON:ALK, FRA: JV2) is focussed on developing projects in the energy transition metals sector. Alkemy’s wholly-owned subsidiary Tees Valley Lithium (TVL) is developing a state of the art lithium hydroxide plant at Teesside, UK. TVL is Europe’s largest independent and sustainable lithium hydroxide producer.