General Discussion Topics, page-101026

Hey Loui,
I'm no chemical engineer (and I don't you are either right?) and we are both well researched for sure.

So ... I do not feel I'm going out on a limb here ... your "inferences" on LFP might not be quite up to date

What we should all know (by now):

1. 2 main proven sources of for Lithium

(a) Brines ... and this has historically meant South American Salars in Chile and Argentina ... and the "natural" end product from evaporation (or even DLE) is Lithium Carbonate. You can further refine Lithium Carbonate into Lithium Hydroxide. Further refine MEANS ADDED COST. Livent does this for some of its carbonate production now.

(b) Hard Rock ... and (outside of China) this has historically meant spodumene from WA ... and the natural end product is a spodumene concentrate that got refined into Lithium Hydroxide (mostly in China). You can produce Lithium Carbonate from spodumene directly (as has been proven by NAL for instance)

There's nothing new there. HOWEVER, while the chemistry is important the economics are more so. Lithium Carbonate produced from spodumene is more costly than Lithium Carbonate produced from Brines. That is just a fact. Sure we can find some outliers if we have too (I'm sure there are some marginal brines). Lithium Hydroxide produced from Brines (i.e. requiring that added refining step) is likely to be more expensive than Lithium Hudroxide produced from spodumene. This gets tricky now given the SC raw material cost and refinery location.

2. There are many LIB chemistries ...
(a) the nickel rich 8xx ones require Hydroxide (another fact),
(b) the mid range NMCs (6xx) can use either,
(c) newer ones such as LFP, which mostly uses Carbonate, but can just as easily use Hydroxide. It is a COST DECISION not a chemistry decision which salt to use.

So when we look at Ford for example, those latest OTA announcements are ALL HYDROXIDE - securing supply is important. General Motors also sought to secure supply for their initiatives that required CARBONATE .... and they invested to buy ~19% of Lithium Americas and 100% of the offtake from the Nevada Thacker Pass project ... Carbonate from Clay ... producing in H2 2026 (so they say). Phase 1 40Ktpa expanded to 80Ktpy wirh Phase 2.

That "obvious answer" wasn't obvious to GM. They are taking execution risk in the technology isn't proven at commercial scale, but GM felt they could throw US$650M at it to securing Carbonate for their EVs ... andfor their sub $30K EV, GM is said to be considering LFP (for cost reasons) with their partner LG Energy Solution (Ultium JV).

So I respectfully disagree (strongly) with the notion "there's only 1 obvious answer based in Norh America to ALL these questions....."

On that basis I remain firmly in the camp that unless there is an LT ECONOMIC ADVANTAGE to completing the existing carbonate plant, a greenfield Hydroxide plant offers a superior solution for the JV.