trending Market Intelligence /marketintelligence/en/news-insights/trending/1-QmjvDBrd-EZLXwnUQmzw2 content esgSubNav
In This List

Tianqi's Australian unit to supply lithium hydroxide to Sweden's Northvolt

Blog

Insight Weekly: US stock performance; banks' M&A risk; COVID-19 vaccine makers' earnings

Blog

Insight Weekly: LNG exports surge; investors unfazed by inflation; neobanks drive VC funding

Blog

Essential Metals Mining Insights November 2021

Blog

[Infographic]: 2021 World Exploration Trends


Tianqi's Australian unit to supply lithium hydroxide to Sweden's Northvolt

Tianqi Lithium Corp.'s Australian unit, Tianqi Lithium Kwinana, signed a deal with Swedish battery-maker Northvolt AB to supply lithium hydroxide from 2020 to 2025, Reuters reported Sept. 24, citing a company filing.

The material will be supplied to Northvolt's planned lithium-ion battery plant in northern Sweden, which is due to begin production in 2021, according to the report.

The volume supplied each year is expected to be at least 6% to 10% of Kwinana's annual capacity. The absolute tonnage figure for the deal was not revealed.

In August, the Tianqi Lithium unit signed a three-year supply agreement with LG Chem Ltd. for at least 15% of its annual capacity, Reuters added.

Kwinana started producing lithium hydroxide earlier in September. The first phase of output is anticipated to ramp up to the full 24,000 tonnes per year over the next 12 to 18 months.

However, Tianqi said that due to low lithium prices, it would delay plans for the A$300 million second stage that was slated to double production to 48,000 tonnes per year.

Northvolt recently said it would partner with Volkswagen AG in a 50/50 joint venture to build a 16-GWh lithium-ion cell production facility in Germany, with construction to start in 2020 and production slated for the end of 2023 or early 2024.