Dearth of explosive experts to drivers hurt top Australia miners

Nervous Asian battery makers are turning to early-stage cobalt projects in Australia and Canada to lock in supplies of the critical battery ingredient ahead of expected shortages as demand for electric vehicles revs up.

"No drilling, no discoveries, no reserves, no mines."

Chile development agency Corfo filed a complaint last week to block the sale of a 32% stake in SQM to China's Tianqi Lithium or any related entities.

German researchers say cobalt-free battery technologies — including post-lithium technologies based on non-critical elements — are the best way to avoid supply issues in the long term.

"Significant surpluses" from next year to decimate prices says second bearish report on electric vehicle battery materials.

The company now has an extraction quota of 88,885 metric tonnes of metallic lithium.

The blended company will have projects in Ontario and Idaho which, once in operations, could be major cobalt suppliers for EVs makers and high tech firms.

The world’s largest carmaker will equip 16 factories to produce electric vehicles by the end of 2022, compared with three currently.

Chile’s antitrust regulator FNE will need to review the complaint.