Concurrently, based on TrendForce’s analysis, as N-type cell capacities incrementally come online, there might be a sporadic shortage of high-quality silicon materials and wafers tailored for N-type cells. This could further establish a noticeable price disparity between N-type silicon and wafers, and their P-type counterparts.
Australian mining company, Liontown Resources Ltd., has just announced it’s agreed to a buyout proposal of AUD 6.6 billion (USD 4.3 billion) by US lithium producer Albemarle Corp (ALB). TrendForce’s latest “2023 Global Li-Ion Battery Industry Chain Market Supply and Demand Report,” indicates that global lithium production in 2022 hit approximately 860,000 tons of Lithium Carbonate Equivalent (LCE). ALB, with its diverse lithium portfolio (spodumene, lithium salt, and tolling), accounted for over 180,000 tons of LCE. Predictions for 2023 spotlight a global lithium production reaching 1.21 million tons LCE, and ALB is set to churn out 200,000 tons of that, holding firmly onto the lead with its 17% market share.
Global Li-ion Battery Industry Chain Market Supply and Demand Report in 2023
Insufficient downstream demand has put a damper on both supply and demand in the EV battery market. TrendForce reveals that the ASP of EV cells in China fell below CNY 0.6/Wh in August. The average price drops of EV square ternary cells, LFP cells, and pouch ternary power cells reached 10%, with respective prices of CNY 0.65/Wh, CNY 0.59/Wh, and CNY 0.7/Wh—highlighting an uninspiring growth pattern in the EV battery market.
In July, EV battery prices in China demonstrated stability, with lithium salt prices registering a marginal decline. The prices of EV square ternary cells, LFP cells, and pouch ternary power cells in July remained relatively consistent with the prior month, positioned at CNY 0.73/Wh, 0.65/Wh, and 0.78/Wh, respectively. This trend comes amid relatively muted demand in the EV sector, according to TrendForce research.