Large changes are underway across the global supply chain for metals due in large part to the growth in the new energy industry. Global demand for cobalt, lithium, and nickel-three of the key metals at the heart of EVs, advanced batteries, and renewable energy technologies-is at unprecedented levels, radically changing worldwide markets in ways that have potential long-term implications for manufacturers, investors, and policymakers alike. Demand for these three metals in the active parts of rechargeable batteries and other green energy storage systems has skyrocketed as governments and companies further ramp up efforts to decarbonize their respective economies.

The policy drive for the transition of the world in cleaner, renewable energy has really triggered an unbeatable surge in the demand for such metals as cobalt, lithium, and nickel. They are very important development factors in electric vehicle economies, batteries, energy-storage systems, and renewable energy technology in general. Indeed, technological development is creating demand for such metals on one hand, while there are major government policies that drive the demand much deeper: from tax breaks and subsidies given to green technologies down to rules covering imports and exports, numerous policy measures reach and set prices of such critical metals.

It is turning conventions upside down for industries, economies, and supply chains across the globe by hastening the change toward cleaner, renewable sources of energy. Inextricably interwoven with the core of such transition has been an exponential increase in demand for certain new energy metals like lithium and cobalt-essentials to batteries that would eventually power electric cars, renewable systems of energy storage, among many other such innovations. Yet supply is trying hard to meet up with their demand. Price trends fluctuated wildly with regard to businesses.

SMM's monthly metal production data is scheduled for release at the end of each month, aiming to uncover the true fundamentals and provide clarity for industry chain participants and investors to better grasp the future trends of the non-ferrous market. 

According to reports, Masdar (Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company) announced the selection of CATL as the preferred energy storage system supplier for the world's largest solar and battery integrated energy storage project—UAE RTC.

In 2024, Africa’s cumulative photovoltaic (PV) capacity reached 19.2GW, marking an increase of 2.5GW from 2023. According to the Africa Solar Outlook 2025 report by the African Solar Industry Association (AFSIA), the continent saw consistent growth, with its third consecutive year of over 2GW of added capacity. The utility and C&I sectors contribute to the majority of the new capacity—1.78GW and 675MW, respectively. Residential installations were estimated to contribute an additional 10-20%.

A recent study by the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) reveals that floating solar (FPV) on U.S. reservoirs could provide up to 1 terawatt (TW) of generation capacity.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has finalized a $584.5 million loan guarantee for Convergent Energy and Power Inc. to support energy storage projects in Puerto Rico. The funding will back the development of a solar photovoltaic (PV) system combined with battery energy storage (BESS), along with three stand-alone BESS projects across Puerto Rico.

Tianqi Lithium has determined that continuing construction on this project is "economically unviable” and thus terminate the development of the Phase II of Kwinana's Lithium Hydroxide Project in Australia, an investment of RMB 1.412 billion, representing 2.74% of the company’s audited net assets for the previous fiscal year. The termination of this project is expected to reduce the company's net profit attributable to shareholders for FY2024 by approximately RMB 501 million, which accounts for 6.86% of the company’s audited net profit for the most recent fiscal year.

The given blog on lithium price predictions for 2025 has gone a step further in providing comprehensive data, expert views, and deep analysis that put one's thoughts into a broader perspective. Be it an established investor or a new entrant into the field of metals, the trends and hidden forces that prevail for this metal will make the course of informed decision-making quite clear.