Saturday, September 18, 2010

Lithium demand will increase four fold by 2017

In these pages, I have written a number of articles about the coming lithium boom, the electric vehicle battery market, and the companies who are either mining lithium at present, or are rushing to become new producers of what has become known as the Èlectric Metal.  In point of fact, lithium is becoming one of the few truly bull markets for savvy investors today.
It is sometimes hard to discern between the many investment blogs, sites and companies who portend to be knowledgeable about this market, and its importance over the next decade.  Lithium-ion batteries have been both praised and dissed by competing factions, for use in the electric vehicle (EV) market, even though they have virtually consumed the market for wireless phones, ipods, ipads laptops and power tools, over the past few years.
Lithium carbonate is also an important industrial chemical:
  • It forms low-melting fluxes with silica and other materials
  • Glasses derived from lithium carbonate are useful in ovenware
  • Cement sets more rapidly when prepared with lithium carbonate, and is useful for tile adhesives
  • When added to aluminum trifluoride, it forms LiF which gives a superior electrolyte for the processing of aluminum
  • Lithium carbonate can be used in a type of carbon dioxide sensor. 
Lithium may also play a key role in advancing solar, wind and hydro power. One key barrier to widespread adoption of renewable energy sources in the electric grid is that they are intermittently generated and require a solution for modulating power to meet instantaneous demand from consumers. Lithium ion batteries may be able to store power from these sources so its available for later use, when the sun isn't shining or the wind isn't blowing.
    There are many reasons why I believe (and am heavily invested) in this lithium boom, however if I detailed them once again, I might be dismissed as an opportunist, banging the drum, so to speak, for his investment portfolio.
    Instead, I would like to re-direct you to a truly in depth industry assessment of the lithium market and its coming impact, from a real expert on the mattter, Dr.  Jon Hykawy of Byron Capital Markets.


     
    I have been reading Dr. Hykawy for approx a year now (as well as many other good minds on the subject) and I have found his research to be in depth, functional, independant, clear and concise and I highly recommend that, if you are invested in this market, or considering it, you should read his reports.


    Here is one report....Hykawy on Lithium

    Related articles:
    Worlds largest pure lithium producer going public Sept 23rd
    Electric Metals market heating up this year!  
    Toyota Prius switching to Lithium-Ion Batteries!

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