Categories: Base Metals / General Market Commentary
Topics: General Base Metals / General Market Commentary

Andrew Miller: Why Nickel Has Been “Overlooked” in the Battery Space

Speaking with the Investing News Network at Cathodes 2017, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence Senior Analyst Andrew Miller shared his thoughts on the nickel and graphite markets.

With demand for lithium-ion batteries rising, metals such as cobalt and lithium have seen increases in demand and prices. Both of those metals have made headlines in 2017, but nickel, another key component of lithium-ion batteries, has not. 

“The supply of nickel chemicals is more constrained than nickel metal, which is the wider known commodity,” Miller explained, noting that producers will need to change their mindset and understand that the processing of the metal is what’s critical for batteries.

Graphite is another metal that is crucial for lithium-ion batteries, and it also has not been getting as much attention as other battery components this year.

“We haven’t seen the same price uptick in the graphite market [compared to other metals], but in the second half of the year both natural and synthetic graphite prices have increased,” Miller said.