The problem with lepidolite is not so much about cost, with such...

The problem with lepidolite is not so much about cost, with such high lithium prices who cares about cost.

The problem is scalability and quality.

Scalability. The lepidolite that is of relatively high grade (still only about 0.5%) and easy to process is very limited, normally only exists at surface. The vast mojority lithium lepidolite are deep in the groud and of much lower grade (not sure about LPD but at least that is the case in China). Therefore, it is extremely difficult to scale up the production.

Quality. Some impurities in lithium chemicals from lepidolite are very very difficult to remove (those pictures of burning EVs ring a bell?). Until now, lithium from lepidolite is almost all used in non-battery fields.

So, in the long term no one can be sure about anything. But, in the next two to three years I am not concerns about lepidolite lithium flodding the market, at all.