Lithium: New Energy Eldorado?

The energy transition is, on the one hand, rightly perceived by Russian oil and gas companies as a threat to their business. On the other, one should also look for new opportunities in the new energy industry.

One of them is the production of lithium, the most important resource for electric vehicle batteries. The industry is rapidly growing, which opens up new horizons, for conventional fuel and energy companies, among others.

Lithium is already beginning to cause increased interest in Russia, which calls for close scrutiny of the topic.

You will find the following subjects in the new NESF research:

Current lithium consumption and forecasts about demand

Lithium pricing

• Causes and consequences of the 2021-2022 “lithium rush”
• How prices were stabilised
• Spot and long-term contracts
• Sodium-ion vs lithium-ion batteries

Current lithium production picture. Specifics of estimating its reserves

• From the “Group of Three” (Australia, Chile, China) to a self-sufficiency policy?
• Outlook for Africa and North America

Vertical integration in the sector

• US policy and the path of China

Production technology

• Hard-rock mining and recovery from salt brines
• DLE (direct lithium extraction) as the equivalent of the shale revolution in the sector.
• Direct lithium extraction from produced oil-field water
• The first experience of foreign oil companies.

Outlook for hard-rock mining in Russia

Outlook for lithium extraction from produced oil-field water in Russia

• Audit of the first projects

Status of the entire process chain – from lithium to electric vehicles – in Russia

Key conclusions and future outlook

Contents of the report: