Deploying overseas lithium resources again, CATL may reach cooperation with Argentina YPF
Step up steps
As the supply and demand of lithium resources tend to be tight, their prices have risen all the way, prompting many lithium battery manufacturers to step up their steps in the deployment of lithium resources.
Recently, an overseas news broke that CATL and YPF of Argentina may reach a cooperation intention to deploy high-grade lithium resources around the world and enhance its comprehensive competitiveness.
According to the Argentine government website, on November 25, Argentine state-controlled energy company YPF met with Chen Junwei, a representative of CATL, a leading brand in the lithium battery manufacturing industry, and the two parties held talks on their plans to become strategic partners in lithium resources.
As a well-known lithium mining company in Argentina, YPF not only focuses on domestic oil and gas projects in the Vaca Muerta shale formation, but also begins to get involved in the lithium mining field.
YPF President Pablo González said that at present, the company is exploring in Jujuy, Salta and Catamarca, Argentina, and other areas where lithium mines may exist, and seeking partners to jointly invest in lithium mines, hoping to establish a good cooperative relationship with CATL.
CATL-lithium Ion Battery Manufacturer
“Lithium Triangle”
Argentina is located in the “Lithium Triangle” of South America and has abundant lithium resources. The Argentine government hopes to maximize the advantages of lithium resources, and through the bridge role of YPF, let lithium resources play a more central role in the development of new energy vehicles.
Alberto Hensel, Minister of Mining of Argentina, agreed with the talks between the two parties. This cooperation agreement may be reached, which will be a new stage for its domestic lithium company YPF to enter the lithium field and promote YPF Lithium under YPF.
The industry achieves the desire to develop the potential resources of the region. At the same time, CATL is the most important battery manufacturer in China.
In the next few years, the demand for lithium will reach five times the production capacity of Argentina today. For this reason, it is extremely important to promote the cooperation between the two companies.
CATL’s visit to Argentina to investigate salt marshes this time aims to pay more attention to lithium resources. CATL said that the company hopes to get the support of the Argentine government to become a strategic partner of lithium resources with YPF.
Growing demand
As the world’s largest manufacturer of power batteries for new energy vehicles, CATL has been focusing on the R & D, production and sales of power battery systems and energy storage systems for new energy vehicles for many years, and is also involved in lithium metal mining.
Faced with the growing demand for lithium resources in the power battery industry, CATL has been trying to find opportunities for cooperation with companies with good lithium resources around the world.
When the new energy vehicle market becomes more and more prosperous, and the demand for batteries from car companies increases, the contradiction between the supply and demand of power battery materials is obvious.
The supply of raw materials such as lithium hydroxide, lithium carbonate, and lithium hexafluorophosphate is tight, and the prices are generally rising sharply.
Recently, many energy and other manufacturers in China have successively issued price adjustment letters for lithium battery raw materials, stating that the reason for the price increase is the rising cost of lithium battery materials and the pressure on profits.
In order to ensure a stable supply of raw materials and enhance cost competitiveness, signs of power battery companies grabbing lithium have emerged.
CATL’s plan
In fact, CATL’s plan for the company’s future development has never forgotten the layout of lithium resources, in places such as Qinghai and Yichun in China, and Canada abroad, they have their own lithium resource projects.
On the one hand, CATL has planned total production capacity of 670GWh, this time the company intends to cooperate with YPF in Argentina because of the company’s future capacity reserve needs to cope with lithium shortages.
On the other hand, due to the current price hikes in the lithium resource market, it seems that companies are also attempting to grab resources. At the same time, companies deploying overseas lithium resources will not only occupy a price advantage, but the market’s bargaining ability will increase, and their competitiveness will also increase.
