Ann: December 2020 Quarterly Activities Report, page-190

Just to clarify ... spod “extraction” does NOT involve calcination - that happens during spod “conversion” to LiOH and is undertaken by the downstream chemical conversion operators.

However the main point you raise in this post is a suggestion that spod to battery is more costly than brine to battery. That’s an interesting concept but rather than develop the direct financial consideration below is an extract of an article form back in Jan 2019 (it too is likely outdated by further moves in battery technology). However the extract provides an interesting perspective on this issue as given by the Sales Director for SQM which of course has some substantial interests in this area:


“That change in demand is prompting producers to expand their lithium hydroxide output and shifting mining projects towards developing lithium hydroxide production rather than lithium carbonate.

"The industry has to make the necessary investments," said SQM's Vanden Bossche. "It will be quite a dramatic change for lithium producers." Production of lithium hydroxide has typically been a two-step process, using lithium brines to produce lithium carbonate, then converting the lithium carbonate into lithium hydroxide.

But mining of lithium spodumene from hard rock is increasing, with producers able to use this to process either carbonate or hydroxide for the same cost. "Companies will either look into more direct conversion into hydroxide or be at a disadvantage," Vanden Bossche said.” https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news/1836977-lithium-hydroxide-demand-to-overtake-carbonate-aabc

It seems the cost to go from brine to LiCO3 to LiHO is not favoured at least by SQM and that with battery chemistry tending to shift toward favouring LiOH for greater range batteries of greater nickel content but needing LiOH for stability there is a shifting toward favouring supply of LiOH going forward.

Keen to hear others’ thoughts on this point ... brine vs hard rock -> LiCO3 vs LiOH (yes I know it’s been done many times in the past but what’s the current position).