SHANGHAI, Jul 22 (SMM) - The 7th China International New Energy Conference 2022, hosted by the SMM (Shanghai Metals Market), has come to a successful end last week. Over 2,000 industry experts and guests participated in the conference, and people provided their perspectives on a variety of topics regarding the most recent trends in the new energy industry, including new energy batteries and their materials, power battery recycling, new energy equipment, and technologies as well as international new energy industry chain.

Speech topic: Sustainability in the electric vehicle industry - the importance and advantages of a stable, high-quality lithium supply in Western Australia

Speaker: Ron Mitchell, Managing Director of Global Lithium Resources

Ron Mitchell introduced the electric vehicle industry, mainly focusing on the importance and advantages of lithium supply in Western Australia, especially the lithium resources and lithium mine projects there.

Speech topic: HANWA's battery business and its global partners

Speaker: Junichi Tomono, the director of Primary Raw Materials Division in HANWA Co., Ltd.    

Junichi Tomono introduced the cooperation’s business with other global institutions and the industry they are engaged in. He also announced that the company will establish worldwide cooperation with established and new battery manufacturers. The projects regarding nickel, cobalt, lithium and graphite, as well as platinum-group metals recovery, will be carried out in large quantities.
In terms of resource strategy, Junichi Tomono suggested that the company succeeded in improving itself by achieving strategic goals. It has not only been deeply engaged in the battery industry, but also participated in other existing industries that are growing rapidly, such as the ceramic capacitors industry.

Speech topic: Battery policy and the development of recycling industry in Japan

Speaker: Yuji Tanamachi, President and CEO of IRuniverse Co., Ltd.  

Yuji Tanamachi introduced the battery industry, government policy and battery recycling in Japan.

It is widely acknowledged that in the 1970s and 1980s, the Japanese battery industry took up most of the global market shares. Sony is a pioneer in lithium-ion batteries manufacturing, and Mr. Yoshino has made important contributions to the development of lithium-ion batteries in Japan. At the same time, it is also well known that Chinese and Korean companies also play an important role in battery recycling.

The companies are developing rapidly under the instruction of their governments in China and South Korea, which forces the Japanese government and companies to step up their efforts to catch up with them. Mr Tanamachi said that the Japanese battery industry had come to an end, but the Japanese companies still had an important role to play to supply key materials for battery manufacturing. For example, separators and electrolytes, the cathode materials for NCA and LCO batteries, are still produced in Japan.

After analysing the situation facing the Japanese battery industry, the current government policy and the battery recycling situation, Mr Tanamachi concluded that it was difficult for Japan to usher in a new era of electric vehicles in a short period of time.

Speech topic: The demand and long-term availability of battery materials: cobalt, lithium, nickel, manganese, and graphite

Speaker: George Heppel, market analyst of Battery Base Metals & Recycling, BASF

George Heppel mainly introduced lithium prices, supply and demand balance and the status quo of battery metal industry in his speech.

Speech topic: Development of EU battery recycling industry: current market status and strategic development of new policy

Speaker: Dr. Carolin Kresse, a postdoctoral researcher with German Mineral Resources Agency (DERA) and Federal Institute of Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR)

Dr. Carolin Kresse, a postdoctoral researcher with the Federal Institute of Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) and the German Mineral Resources Agency (DERA), introduced the development of the EU’s battery recycling industry from two aspects, the market status and the strategic development of the EU's new policy. He introduced in details the lithium-ion battery recycling industry, the official guidance and strategy for battery recycling in Europe, and the challenges the industry faced.

Speech topic: Nickel ore resources in the era of new energy vehicles

Speaker: Shinji Esaki, a well-known metal smelting expert in Japan  

Ezaki Shinji, a well-known Japanese metal smelting expert, shared some information about global nickel ore resources in his speech, covering the global large-scale mines, nickel ore production, nickel applications, and the process of refining and smelting nickel.

Speech topic: Global nickel outlook

Speaker: Ricardo Ferreira, a director of market research and statistics at the International Nickel Research Group

Ricardo Ferreira, shared his insight into the world's nickel market from the following aspects: the supply and demand in the global nickel market, the production of nickel ore worldwide, the application of nickel to batteries, and the outlook for the global nickel market.

Speech topic: Voice in the lithium industry

Speaker: Anand Sheth, a founding president of the International Lithium Association

The International Lithium Association is committed to providing lithium-related information for its members, including price changes, supply and demand, industry development, etc. The association is also devoted to ESG and establishing standards for the lithium industry.

Anand Sheth, a founding president of the International Lithium Association, said in his speech that during the world’s transition to "net-zero carbon", the mankind is experiencing an energy revolution, where lithium is a key raw material and the demand for it has experienced unprecedented growth. In his opinion, the 21st century will be the century of lithium.