Most know about the heatwave and drought crippling China atm. A...

Most know about the heatwave and drought crippling China atm. A little snippet from an article which says lithium prices are soaring which is driving up all battery raw material producers SP. The reverse effect from the incorrect GS analysts report saying lithium will be in over supply.
https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/climate-change/extreme-china-heatwave-could-lead-to-global-chaos-and-food-shortages/news-story/9e6c5dfb0b58b291bffb8c2706a34628

Supply chains broken
Among the global corporate players affected by the Sichuan shutdown are car manufacturers Toyota, Volkswagen and Tesla. It’s home to major Intel and Apple assembly plants, as well as the world’s largest battery maker, Amperex Technology. The region is also a significant producer of the globally critical mineral lithium and polysilicon solar panels. Toyota has reportedly resumed some production by acquiring a large-scale diesel generator. But, in Shanghai, Tesla has been forced to appeal to local authorities to be exempted from power restrictions to maintain its supply of electric vehicle components.

The trickle-down effects will extend globally. Lithium prices are soaring: China has long cornered the market. And many of the technologies needed to combat the climate crisis exacerbating China’s woes will now likely become much more expensive and harder to find.

On the graphite front,

1/Chinese graphite flake producers hold positive attitudes. Prices remain stable
2/ BTR's anode material sales exceed 140kt in H1
3/ There was a signing ceremony for 200ktpy anode material integration project held in Fushui
4/ Shanshan's 200ktpy anode material integration project in Meishan goes into production
5/ Tanyi New Energy launches construction of 100ktpy natural graphite anode material project in Shuangyashan
6/ A lot of the prices seem to be set by Pangang Group Material Trading who every couple of weeks announce bids for graphite flake then announce the results a week later. Need to subscribe to Asian metals to know the results however.

The Chinese aren't mucking around here. They can see future demand growing exponentially.

The competition in the anode material market is becoming fiercer
According to statistics, in 2021, the shipment of anode materials in the Chinese market was 768,000 tons, a year-on-year increase of 92%. It is estimated that China's anode material shipments will reach 1.186 million tons in 2022, and will maintain a growth rate of more than 30% in the future. By 2025, shipments will reach 2.98 million tons. Affected by the fact that the supply of lithium ore raw materials is far below the demand, various material companies in the upstream of the industry chain have begun to step up their production expansion. As the leading companies in the lithium ion battery anode material industry, the Top 10 lithium ion battery anode material companies in China have taken the lead in expanding production.

This is worth a read (snippet above). It's only 2 weeks old so very much up to date. You'll notice some are producing both natural and synthetic to be entirely integrated to produce the actual anode itself. This article is designed to provide you with a comprehensive introduction to the Top 10 lithium ion battery anode material companies in China, including their development history, main businesses and core products, as well as related industrial layouts, to help you obtain all the details of the development pattern of China's Li-ion battery anode material industry and the latest expansion dynamics of the industry giants.

https://www.tycorun.com/blogs/news/top-10-lithium-ion-battery-anode-material-companies-in-china-in-2022