Silicon anode startups snagged $1.9bn in funding over the past decade – report

After years of dismantling discarded televisions and laptops, a Shanghai recycling plant is readying itself for a new wave of waste: piles of exhausted batteries from the surge of electric vehicles hitting China's streets.

Prices for cobalt metal, used in production of electric vehicle batteries, have tripled to nine-year peaks above $30 a pound from below $10 a pound in late 2015.

The miner wants to address the needs of European automakers.

What would happen if you flipped a switch, and suddenly every new car that came off assembly lines was electric?

Permit lets Bacanora go-ahead with its 35,000tpa (tons per annum) lithium carbonate operation in Mexico.

The project will be the Japanese company’s first desalination plant and it is estimated to require an investment of around $623 million (70 billion Yen).

Competitive operating costs and supportive government policies are also expected to play a key role in Mexico's mining industry strong recovery.

The Gakara mine holds some high-grade rare earth elements, some of which are expected to become essential for the manufacturing of batteries, magnets and electric vehicles.

A global energy transition is underway, with lithium-ion as one of the leading energy storage technologies for both handheld technology and electric cars.