【SMM Analysis】Ghana's Ewoyaa Lithium Lease Ratified; Chinese Bid for Atlantic Lithium Emerges

KPC has set the August Kuwait Sulphur Price (KSP) at $865/mt FOB, down by $85/mt from the July KSP of $950/mt; QatarEnergy has kept its August Qatar Sulphur Price (QSP) unchanged at $890/mt FOB from July; ADNOC has kept its August official selling price (OSP) for the Indian subcontinent unchanged at $1,000/mt FOB Ruwais from July.

Industrial digitalization is emerging as a growing focus area across Africa's lithium and EV supply chain, as producers and downstream players face increasing pressure to demonstrate transparency, traceability, and operational efficiency from mine to battery. In one example of this trend, Southern Africa based industrial software provider IS³ has announced plans to connect operations across the region's lithium and EV ecosystem spanning mining and mineral processing, battery manufacturing, EV assembly, and battery recycling through a shared industrial data platform. The initiative centers on enabling organizations across the value chain to securely share operational data, with stated goals of improving collaboration, visibility, and supply chain resilience across SADC region mining and manufacturing operations. The broader push reflects a wider industry shift: as African lithium projects scale from early production toward integrated regional supply chains, data connectivity and digital infrastructure are increasingly viewed as complementary to traditional competitiveness factors like grade, cost, and logistics. SMM View: Digital traceability and operational data-sharing are becoming a growing differentiator as African lithium producers seek to meet the compliance and sustainability expectations of downstream battery and EV manufacturers, particularly in markets with tightening ESG and supply chain due diligence requirements. As more of Africa's lithium output moves toward integrated processing and battery value chains from Zimbabwe and Namibia through to Southern Africa's broader EV ambitions the pace of digital infrastructure adoption may become an increasingly relevant factor in project competitiveness and investor due diligence going forward.

[SMM Daily Review: Aug 5 Spot Lithium Carbonate Prices Consolidate Higher] Today, SMM battery-grade lithium carbonate spot price consolidated higher compared to the previous trading day. The lithium carbonate 2609 contract opened lower at 139,700 yuan/mt, briefly dipped to 138,300 yuan/mt after opening and then found support, with bulls stepping in to push prices to consolidate and rebound; in the morning session, prices fluctuated on the strong side in the 140,000-142,000 yuan/mt range, and the center gradually moved higher despite some back-and-forth; near midday, bulls and bears consolidated in a tug-of-war in the 141,500-142,500 yuan/mt range; in the afternoon, bulls continued to push, and prices consolidated higher; near the close, concentrated capital inflows drove prices quickly up to 144,300 yuan/mt, hitting an intraday high, then pulled back slightly on some profit-taking, settling around 143,200 yuan/mt, finally closing up 2.61% at 143,200 yuan/mt. Open interest decreased by 9,640 lots. In the spot market, downstream buyers purchased as needed on dips. Some downstream buyers saw increased spot order demand as upstream lithium chemical plants' maintenance reduced long-term contract volumes; upstream lithium chemical plants remained cautious in selling spot cargoes, with those having maintenance plans focusing on securing long-term contract supplies this month, while some lithium chemical plants showed signs of loosening their intent to hold prices firm. Overall, market inquiries and actual transactions were relatively stable.