Posted on this a while ago -
Post #:69711272 I'll just duplicate the relevant parts from that post that went into other matters as well.
The growing EV market requires a combination of all battery types, but range and energy density and km to recharge the key there is for NCM and NCA batteries and solid state batteries. If you are going to drive a car in the city for short trips then a car with a LFP battery will probably work best for you, longer range and need for higher speed well it will be another battery type. Essentially the following article says the same.What Batteries Are Tesla Using In Its Electric Cars? (insideevs.com)At the end of the day what makes hard rock competitive is battery type and the need for low impurities. Clearly hydroxide is the domain of hardrock, but even batteries that require carbonate can also be the domain of hard rock where those battery types will need low impurities.
In terms of LFP they may largely remain to be the domain of brines, if that carbonate comes from Atacama in particular IMO given those batteries are unlikely to need the level of 'good' lithium inputs - i.e. impurities don't have to be as strict as other battery types. But we also now know since I posted that way back that it is getting more difficult in the Atacama Basin for lithium extraction given water issues there. And hardrock can also serve the carbonate market - refer embedded post above at Section 4 why I have this view.
What keeps brine costs down in the Atacama is the potash credits, and yes Atacama can produce carbonate at a slightly lower cost than hard rock. I also feel that other brine deposits will be more costlier to produce given their magnesium levels, noting Atacama has its issues with water, but impurities are lower than most other brines (particularly magnesium). Posted on issues around potash credits/ magnesium a while back in this post, and why a lot of brine deposits outside Atacama are not great. -Post #:44584547The image below gives the breakdown of LCE need per kWh and it supports what you are saying - your NCM 622, NCA and NMC811 batteries, for example, are served by hydroxide, which is the domain of hard rock. Your solid state batteries are produced from a carbonate feedstock, but I see hardrock having a key stake in that market given you are going to need quite low impurity levels in solid state batteries.
All IMO IMO
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