The cost of construction is an issue although it only really appears to be warehouse style buildings and processing equipment. I'd have liked to think the capex cost differential wasn't that large as you suggest but I don't have a handle on the cost of an equivalent plant in China. Is this speculation or knowledge that there's a 4x capital cost difference?
As per a previous post, the cost of the manganese ore is a small part of the overall cost structure and the cost of shipping is an even smaller part of that overall total. A shipment of ~40kt would be needed every six months, although it may be smaller shipment and more frequently. The cost of shipping the ore from Port Hedland is not one of the largest cost items so the sea travel distance between Australia and Asia vs Australia and USA isn't making a material difference in the cost structure.
The cost of manganese in batteries is such a trivial small amount that the cost of HPMSM isn't going to move the overall battery cost equation. Lithium, Cobalt and Nickel are much more expensive per ton of material.
E25 Price at posting:
26.5¢ Sentiment: Buy Disclosure: Held
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