On September 19, the domestic lithium carbonate futures hit a new low since the listing, and the price fell below the 160,000 mark. As of the close, the main lithium carbonate contract was 159,450 yuan, down 5.62%. According to the latest data released by Shanghai Steel Union, on September 19, the average price of domestic battery-grade lithium carbonate fell by 2,000 yuan/ton from the previous trading day to 188,500 yuan/ton, and the price of lithium hydroxide and some lithium battery waste also fell.
Referring to the price data of the business community, domestic battery-grade lithium carbonate began to decline after reaching a high point of nearly 600,000 yuan/ton in November last year, and fell below 200,000 yuan/ton for the first time in April this year. On April 23, the price of battery-grade lithium carbonate began to rebound after hitting a low level of 165,000 yuan/ton, and quickly stood at more than 200,000 yuan/ton on May 8.
However, the good times did not last long, after hitting a stage high of 315,000 yuan/ton in June, the domestic lithium carbonate price turned downward again, on September 8, it fell below 200,000 yuan/ton again, and it has not stopped falling.
However, compared with the falling lithium carbonate prices, lithium mining mergers and acquisitions market is extremely hot!
On Sept. 5, after repeated rejections, Albemarle Corp of the United States, the world's largest lithium miner, got what it wanted with a new offer of about 6.6 billion Australian dollars (about 30.8 billion yuan) to win the Australian lithium developer Liontown Resources, which controls two major lithium mines in Western Australia. These include flagship KathleenValley, which is scheduled to start production for the first time in mid-2024 and is one of the largest and highest-grade hard rock lithium mines in the world.
Rio Tinto wants to become a "meaningful" lithium producer, according to Chief Executive Jakob Stausholm, who also confirmed recently that Rio Tinto has secured exploration land in Western Australia to look for lithium deposits.
In terms of domestic lithium mining mergers and acquisitions, according to incomplete statistics of the battery network, in the first half of 2023, excluding the termination of the transaction, only the lithium battery field mergers and acquisitions related cases have exceeded 33, of which 12 targets involve lithium mining business; One involved graphite mining business, one involved cobalt mining business, mining mergers and acquisitions accounted for about 42.42% of the proportion. Among them, the most concerned is the power battery head company Ningde Era spent more than 6.4 billion to win 100% of the shares of Snowe.
In addition, Hainan Mining's Xinmao announced plans to invest nearly 120 million US dollars to subscribe for 14.81% shares of KOD and 51% shares of KMUK.Its core project is the Bougouni lithium mine project. China Mineral Resources intends to invest a total of US $20 million to acquire 51% interest in URT lithium project through acquisition and capital increase; Zangge Mining's Zangqing Fund plans to acquire a 39% stake in Guoneng Mining for a total of 4.68 billion yuan; Dazhong Mining won 80% equity of Chenzhou Chengtai for the new energy industry of Linwu lithium mine in Hunan Province. Anzhong Shares plans to acquire the remaining 30% equity of its lepidolite company Linghui Technology for 165 million yuan; Shengxunda intends to fully control Yului Technology to strengthen the layout of lithium resources; Tianhua New Energy intends to acquire 60% equity of Tianhua Times and increase the lithium mining field; ST Industrial Intelligence intends to acquire 70% of Dingxing Mining and 49% of Xingli Technology. In addition, Qinghai Liangcheng, a unit of Ganfeng Lithium, plans to buy 5.49 per cent of Jintai Potash Fertilizer and Western Mining plans to buy 6.29 per cent of Taifeng First.
