Good News & Bad News, page-1228

It’s on topic in that it relates to a PLS partner that has now claimed big nickel stakes in Ravensthorpe AND Queensland Pacific Metals (with LG) [link].
…. A partner one who has been making plenty of recent noise about PLS offtake in regards its pending S Korean hydroxide plant…… and saying it will build one in Argentina too….
And hinting it is “already planning” more!

Spoiler : Refresher on that

https://www.electrive.com/2021/04/15/posco-announces-plans-for-a-lithium-hydroxide-plant-in-s-korea/
Apr 15, 2021 - 11:02 pm
Posco reveals plans for a lithium hydroxide plant in S.Korea……

…….……… etc, etc
…..
Posco will also begin construction of a plant near the Salar del Hombre Muerto salt lake in northern Argentina over the next few months, which is to offer an annual production capacity of 25,000 tonnes of lithium. The group also owns the mining rights in Argentina, and according to Posco, the reserves in the plant should be sufficient for up to 370 million electric cars.

Further plants are apparently already being planned:
Posco wants to reach a capacity of 220,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide per year by 2030…..
………. etc
…..Update 26 May 2021: About six weeks after the announcement, Posco has started construction of the lithium hydroxide extraction plant in Gwangyang.
The plant will reportedly have an annual production capacity of 43,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide when completed, scheduled for 2023.

At the groundbreaking ceremony, Posco also gave some details on the supply chain.
The Korean company wants to import spodumene from Pilbara Minerals in Australia and process it into lithium hydroxide in Gwangyang.
Later, material from the above-mentioned plant in Argentina will also be added.

In order to secure the production of cathode material for which a corresponding plant is also being built in Gwangyang, Posco took over 30 per cent of the Ravensthorpe nickel mine in Australia last week.
According to South Korean media, the investment was just under 200 million euros…… “

With POSCO/LG Energy Solution clearly on the the prowl for battery metals other than lithium in Australia as well, and the government’s long affirmed intention to attract international partners for downstream processing…..

[Here’s a link to a November 2020 post ‘skipping a pebble’ across past government comments to this {comments which have been reinforced a number of times since!}]​

.. I wonder if POSCO might have been lured?

cheers