Good News & Bad News, page-42006

There is actually a good reason for the ESS failures. As has been discussed ad nauseum, Lithium Carbonate sourced from Lepidolite is known to be of lower quality and have higher impurity levels than most spodumene-sourced Lithium Carbonate. That's without even getting started on the ESG aspects of Lepidolite vs. Spodumene. Even several Chinese refiners have noted that significant fractions of their Lepidolite-sourced Lithium Carbonate does not meet their standards for EV battery grade material.

As it turns-out, the Chinese know this, which is why, in 2022, 44% of all Lepidolite-sourced Lithium Carbonate was utilized for ESS, while only 40% was utilized for EV batteries:

https://www.fastmarkets.com/insights/chinese-lepidolite-integral-to-global-lithium-supply/

Yes, you read that correctly. More lepidolite-sourced LCE was utilized for ESS than for EV batteries in 2022. I haven't been able to find a source for 2023, yet, but I would imagine that the proportions are going to be at least similar, and perhaps even higher. The results of the higher impurity rates are becoming fairly clear, and China doesn't want to wreck their EV brand, since they still have significant competition in the EV market, while they face MUCH less significant competition in the ESS Market, currently.

As they should with EV batteries, large corporations and nations should be clear that they do not want, and will not accept, products for which the Lithium Salts are sourced from Lepidolite, with contract T&Cs and regulations to back that position. That won't remove the threat of runaway thermal oxidation, but it WILL significantly decrease the risk and rate of occurrence.

Best regards,