Some Lithium Salt Smelters with Captive Mines Are Immune from Shock Wave Caused by Plummeting Lithium Carbonate Prices

With lithium carbonate prices going down steadily, some high-cost smelters may be squeezed out of the market.

However, some smelters who have their own lithium mines have been little affected and still make lucrative profits.  

For example, Zangge Mining said it has a 10,000 mt/year lithium carbonate production line whose costs are around 30,000 yuan/mt. It is now developing Mamicuo salt lake, whose costs could be within 25,000 yuan/mt.

Another company, Yongxing Materials, owns lepidolite porcelain ore mine, which produces lithium carbonate at costs that are far below the current market prices.