Chris Berry (@cberry1 on Twitter) is the founder of Mountain House Partners, a Washington DC based advisory firm.  He is also a sought after commentator on the lithium ion battery metals space. Nothing said on the podcast should be considered investment advice. DYOR - do your own research. Topics in this episode: The biggest lithium surprise of 2022 Price – where to from here? The Inflation Reduction Act Supply and demand Canada, Argentina, and Brazil Redwood Materials recent announcement Recycling “black mass” at scale DLE – when will it have an impact on supply? Lepidolite – how much? how soon? quality? An “essential question” for Chris from Simon Moores The “Dragon Armor” LFP battery Sodium Ion – much ado about nothing? Battery pack size trends The “paradox of green growth” China – where to from here? Does a “green premium” exist? Lithium company valuations Rapid fire

Peter Oliver has been one of the most influential people in the lithium industry over the past two decades. He spent 18 years at Talison – 12 years as CEO/Managing Director and later was a Non-Executive Director.  Peter guided Talison through the acquisition by Tianqi Lithium in 2013 and then served as an advisor to Tianqi when they sold 49% of Talison to Rockwood (now Albemarle) and later acquired 24% of SQM. He was a founding director of Tianqi Lithium Australia, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tianqi that was established to build the first hydroxide conversion facility in Australia. Peter remained a director until June 2021. Few have the breadth of experience and understanding of the global lithium markets. Peter has recently returned to the lithium world as a Non-Executive Director of Latin Resources. Topics: The history of Greenbushes and the transition from tantalum producer to dominant hard rock lithium mine. The lithium industry before the lithium ion battery China’s rise as a lithium chemical converter based on Greenbushes spodumene. Competing with brine based lithium in China Lithium industry structure and why it needs to evolve to supply the energy transition The reason China continues to lead the world in lithium chemicals production Lithium geopolitics Developing talent Lepidolite – why development has been limited and its potential in the future Staying under the radar Coming back to the industry / joining the Latin Resources board The lithium opportunity in Brazil Price Rapid fire

John Young is the Non-Executive Chairman of Green Technology Metals (ASX: GT1) and a Co-Founder of leading lithium producer Pilbara Minerals. Cam Henry is the Founder and CEO of Primero, an EPC company that serves many industries but stands alone as the leading company serving the hard rock lithium space. He is also a Non-Executive Director of Green Technology Metals. In this episode we cover the current state of the hard rock universe from what is happening in Western Australia to developments in Canada, Brazil, and Africa. After a macro discussion of the hard rock world we get into specifics of what attracted these two Aussie lithium pioneers to get involved with Green Technology Metals and why developing lithium in Canada will be critical to the future of battery supply chain development in North America and the EU.  We also discuss the GT1 partnership with Lithium Americas and why that is important to the future development of the company.  Towards the end of the podcast, Cam turns the tables and asks me some questions. We end with rapid fire.

JP Vargas is the Managing Director of Galan Lithium Topics: Galan's Hombre Muerto West resource in Argentina Permitting The chloride strategy The Team The most significant project challenges Relationship with the Catamarca Government Rapid Fire

This is a short episode with a focus on my recent trip to Chile as well as my time on the Camino in Portugal & Spain, a short visit to Reno and upcoming trip to Australia. If you want to skip the brief comments on the Camino trek I recently completed, fast forward to minute three: Mentions: Summit Nanotech, SQM, Albemarle, LAC, CORFO, Daniel Jimenez & iLi Markets

Henry Sanderson (@hjesanderson on Twitter) is an author and executive editor at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. He was previously with the Financial Times. His recently published book Volt Rush is a must reader for anyone interested in EVs, critical metals and the energy transition. Topics: Henry’s reason for writing Volt Rush The rags to riches stories of Chinese “clean energy barons” now billionaires Avoiding the "oligarch syndrome" What Xi Jinping wants Jack Ma becomes a verb A Wuling vs a Tesla - is EV penetration a meaningful metric? EVs: “democratized” in China but not in the west? The challenge of developing “China free” supply chains Messy geopolitics The Inflation Reduction Act Do US OEMs have the right EV strategy? The resurgence of LFP Western Australia’s growing lithium influence China’s raw material vulnerability Africa’s future role in critical metals The changing lithium landscape in South America The future of China’s domestic lithium resources Lithium in the UK? Who are the “losers” in the race to go green? Rapid fire

Austin Devaney (AustinDevaney on Twitter) is the Chief Commercial Officer at Piedmont Lithium and a former executive at Albemarle Topics: Austin’s early days in the lithium world How customer needs have evolved Lithium quality requirements for EVs SQM’s curious & value destroying “20% price decrease letter” from several years ago Why high prices aren’t able to quickly fix high prices in the lithium space The legacy of late lithium projects Shout out to Eric Norris OEMs – slow to understand lithium The Inflation Reduction Act What Elon Musk doesn’t understand about the lithium industry Lithium in North Carolina: “Back to the Future” Piedmont’s permitting issues Brine vs hard rock Lepidolite – the new high cost umbrella? Why prices will stay high for years Rapid Fire

In this episode I briefly speak about why I believe the "Big Banks" have, for the most part, gotten their recent price forecasts wrong. The rest of the episode is answering listener questions: Topics: The Inflation Reduction Act Permitting  DOE Loan Program DLE Canada's future in lithium The EU vs North America in battery supply chain development Companies mentioned: SQM, Albemarle, Ganfeng, Tianqi, Lithium Americas, Pilbara Minerals, Mineral Resources, Rio Tinto, Green Technology Metals, Tesla, Galan Lithium, Livent, Allkem, Wesfarmers, Frontier, Critical Elements, E3 and several more

I interview the co-founders of the International Lithium Association (ILiA). Anand, known as “The Lithium Raj,” has deep lithium experience. Roland has experience running other major industry associations. We start off discussing Anand’s experience as a lithium pioneer marketing spodumene from Australia (Greenbushes) before discussing the International Lithium Association’s reason for being. Follow them on Twitter: @ILiA_lithium & Linked In The ILiA website:  https://lithium.org/ Topics: The early days & growth of the lithium market in China Building relationships & negotiating in China The early days of Tianqi & Ganfeng. The transition from spodumene use in glass & ceramics to chemical conversion How China competed with low cost brine imports from South America China’s rise in battery Moving from Talison to Galaxy & later Pilbara Minerals The thinking behind the creation of the International Lithium Association Attracting the major lithium players as members The Association’s areas of focus and challenges Serving members & the general public What does ILiA look like in 2027? Rapid fire with the first "do over" in GLP history

As CEO of Pilbara Minerals for over six and a half years Ken Brinsden (@KenBPilbara on Twitter) had a long list of accomplishments. We discuss the past, present, and future in this episode. Topics: Lithium: unreasonable expectations on an immature industry The new price paradigm The creation and future of the Battery Metals Exchange (BMX) “Rearranging” margins in the supply chain End user naivete The significance of the Altura acquisition The importance of the team Newcomers with mid-stream production aspirations Innovation in mining is inevitable Why the future for Pilbara isn’t spodumene Staying motivated ESG Lepidolite and the Goldman Sachs “Report” Grooming a successor What’s next? Rapid fire

This is a solo episode where I discuss learnings from recent travel to the Benchmark and Fastmarkets conferences, my visit to the new Lithium Americas Technical Development Center in Reno, thoughts on the "speed" of the DOE loan office and recent announcements by Ford and GM. The episode closes with a Q&A session where I take questions and rapid fire from a long time podcast listener.

Tony Ottaviano is the CEO of Liontown Resources and an experienced mining executive. Topics: The move from the “Big End of Town” to the world of lithium The Kathleen Valley project Going underground Hiring criteria The team Building vs operating The most significant challenges Tony faces The offtake deals – Tesla, LG, and Ford ESG Core values The market Going downstream Rapid fire

Peter Hannah is the Senior Price Development Manager at Fastmarkets and one of the best young commentators in the battery metals space.  We discuss:  Lithium supply and demand dynamics  The meaning and importance of the spot price Ponder when lithium will mature as an industry  Why supply will define demand over the next few years Discuss the future of hedging lithium  And why we agree $16/kg lithium carbonate won’t happen anytime soon  I close this episode with thoughts on recent analyst reports, Argentina’s latest move to secure fair export prices and BYD’s foray into Africa

David Guerrero is currently an independent consultant and advisor with a long history in the Argentina lithium industry beginning with Lithium One before becoming the President of Galaxy Resources - Argentina. David is sought after by parties from around the world that draw on his deep knowledge when considering investments in South American lithium brine assets. Topics: The current state of the lithium industry in Argentina Which new projects have the best chance of producing by 2025 & 2030 The most significant barriers to success for brine projects Infrastructure challenges The potential for export of “liquid spodumene” aka lithium chloride brine The role of Federal and Provincial governments in the lithium industry Argentina vs Chilean royalty policy Lithium geopolitics ESG DLE Rapid fire

My Q&A session with a WeChat Group featuring some of the brightest young minds in the lithium/battery/EV ecosystem. Topics: The Rise and Future of Ganfeng Global Supply Chain Issues BYD & CATL's Future Outside of China Tesla's Lithium Positioning The Lithium Decade Why Didn't Western Lithium Companies Prepare for the EV Boom? Do Any Legacy OEMs have a Meaningful Lithium Strategy? The Best Barometer of Lithium Price Chile's Lithium Future How Much Influence will China have in Argentina's Lithium Future? DLE Geopolitics and the Battery Space  

Rene LeBlanc is the Chief Technical Officer at Lithium Americas. Rene has also worked for Tesla and FMC Lithium (now Livent). Topics: How much lithium is needed in the production of a lithium ion battery pack? Update on Cauchari Ramping up a greenfield lithium project Cycle times Seasonality in brine production Update on Thacker Pass LAC's new Technical Center in Reno DLE  Price  ESG Cauchari's water use vs currently used DLE Talent acquisition  Rapid fire

My guests from Rio Tinto are Marnie Finlayson, MD of Battery Materials, and Grant Donald, GM of Strategic Marketing, Minerals. Topics: RT’s battery materials strategy Being a leader in the green economy Producing lithium from mine waste in California The Rincon project in Argentina The battle for lithium talent Supporting local communities Development timelines Keeping up with technological change RT’s view of the market going forward RT’s thoughts on where their lithium will go The status of the Jadar project in Serbia Price Being a leading force in the energy transition How does RT’s battery business look in five years? Rapid Fire In my closing remarks I discuss Elon Musk’s tweet about getting in to lithium production. Lithium remains Elon and Tesla’s Achilles’ heel

Topics:  The Benchmark vision & business model  Limiting factors to the growth of the “lithium ion economy”  The “great battery raw material disconnect”   The LME nickel fiasco  Is President Biden invoking the Defense Production Act significant?  Tesla compared with legacy OEMs  The emerging US Battery Supply chain compared with the EU – rhetoric vs reality  Vertical Integration in the battery/EV space  Why the lithium shortage is understated – the battery scrap conundrum  Where is Benchmark in five years?  The impact of geopolitics on the lithium ion battery world  Rapid Fire

A solo episode covering the following topics: Lithium prices - why SQM, Albemarle and Livent have very different prices per kg The price of lithium stocks   The false narrative of Chinese lithium dominance Is GM the "Don Quixote" of the EV world? Energy Secretary Granholm playing politics in West Virginia Lithium training for media types Geothermal lithium - not ready for prime time?

Seth Goldstein is an analyst at Morningstar - an industry leader providing independent research and analysis on a global basis. In his role at Morningstar, Seth covers Tesla, Albemarle, SQM, Livent and Lithium Americas. Topics: The EV market from a regional perspective An update on Tesla’s new plants in Texas and Germany Lithium supply and demand - how long will the shortage last? Was Albemarle’s new lithium demand estimate for 2030 a meaningless theoretical exercise? Why lithium is different than other resource markets The Mineral Resources / Albemarle lithium JV - who has the upper hand in WA? Livent: Too little, too late with a flawed strategy? Or a strong niche player? Cathode – which “flavor” wins? SQM – will they outperform Albemarle on price again in this market cycle? Will SQM finally meet one of their volume predictions? The “Spot” vs contract pricing gap – how much? For how long? How will OEMs adjust their strategy to lithium limitations in this decade? Seth’s thoughts on Lithium Americas – Cauchari and Thacker Pass Product qualification in a market shortage Rapid Fire

Chris Reed is the CEO of Neometals Topics include: First lithium success – the development of Mt Marion and a profitable exit Battery recycling plans – Europe, North America, Asia Feedstock – scrap & end of life batteries, timing EVs “dirty little secret” – minimizing the current five years it takes the average EV to recoup the carbon footprint deficit with ICEs The contribution recycling can make to lithium supply by 2030 and 2040 “Peak Spodumene”: What total LCE volume? When? Electrolytic Lithium aka “Eli”– the process and potential Changing the cost curve Neometals upcoming London Listing Supply and demand imbalance Doomsday scenarios Rapid fire

A double episode for Super Bowl weekend.  Part One is with Standard Lithium's Dr Andy Robinson and Will Smith. Andy is COO. Will is Engineering Manager. We discuss the Standard Lithium project with partner Lanxess in El Dorado, Arkansas. Part Two features Andrew Miller the COO of Benchmark Mineral intelligence. We discuss lithium price, supply and demand and several other topics.

Simon Hay is the CEO of Leo Lithium and the former CEO of Galaxy Resources. Leo Lithium has a 50/50 JV with Ganfeng Lithium to develop the Goulamina Project in Mali.  Topics include: Africa's history in lithium Project details: resource/reserves, grade, flowsheet, utilities, etc Timing of stage 1 and stage 2 The Team Challenges Benefits of having Ganfeng as a partner Offtake Price formula The lithium market - what is "different this time"

My guests are Co-CEOs Ana Cabral-Gardner and Calvyn Gardner A lively discussion that was originally 72 minutes edited down to 47 minutes. Topics: Construction update and challenges Ramping up Covid and other obstacles  Sustainability BlackRock’s Investment ESG Investing Social License Battery Quality spodumene – reality or myth? Partners that matter Lifting up the local community Lithium: “The Limiting Factor” to EV Growth? How long is the “short term”? Twitter @SigmaLithium

My guest is Henrique Ribeiro of S&P Global Platts, a leader in providing price information, industry market insights and analytics. In addition to his work in lithium/battery metals price information and analysis, Henrique is also a host on the Platts Future Energy Podcast. In this episode, we discuss Platts role in providing information about lithium and other battery metals. We cover their methodology for making price assessments and how they factor in lithium product specifications. We discuss the significance of the “spot” price and why it can vary so significantly from contract price and information found in import/export statistics. I ask about quality control in the Platts process and how they deal with contacts that may try to “massage” the information they provide. I ask Henrique for his thoughts on the lithium supply and demand imbalance and when price may “soften”. We discuss the questions Henrique is most often asked by various industry stakeholders. Platts does not forecast lithium prices. We will discuss the logic behind that practice. In a world of many different prices for the same lithium grade, you will learn the value of the spot price as an indicator. We close with a slow rapid fire. Find out more at: spglobal.com

My guest is Daniel Jimenez ex SQM and currently running his own advisory firm, iLi Markets (ilimarkets.com). Recorded less than two weeks before the Chilean Presidential election runoff - described as the most divisive in the country's history. We discuss potential impacts of the election on the lithium industry depending on whether the winner is from the right or the left. At minute 14, we begin a discussion of the Atacama & the current & future production of both SQM & Albemarle from the world's premier brine asset. We we also review the reasons for SQM lagging the pricing results of most competitors. Spoiler alert – we both expect that situation to change. We also ponder Albemarle’s long & winding road in ramping up production from expansions in Chile. We move on to a discussion of global supply & demand. Daniel’s 2021 & 2022 total demand numbers are higher than mine but not drastically so. Daniel provides his thoughts on the potential for new lithium projects in Chile as well as DLE before moving on to the potential & challenges for the EU & North America to supply a significant percentage of their future lithium demand. We cover the recent rise of Chinese investment in South American lithium projects. Will recycling contribute significantly to lithium supply before 2030? Solid state batteries & the potential impact on what lithium raw material requirements. Rapid fire. Daniel can be found on Twitter @D_Jimenez_Sch

Dr. Yuan Gao has been a significant player in the lithium ion battery space for a quarter of a century. From his early days at FMC Lithium working in battery R&D to his time with Molycorp in rare earth materials followed by a five-year tenure as CEO of Chinese cathode producer Pulead and most recently as a member of Lithium Americas Board of Directors and as a sought after advisor. Few have the breadth of experience Yuan has. Dr. Gao holds twenty-one patents. In this episode we discuss the cathode market in detail from LFP to High Nickel products. We also review the challenges in producing LMFP and “Cobalt Free” High Nickel. We discuss the regionalization of battery supply chains and why it will be difficult for North America and Europe to play “catch up” with Asia. We move on to the future of solid state batteries and the challenges faced by the recycling industry. We ponder when recycling industry will transition from processing the scrap of new gigafactories to being part of a truly circular lithium ion battery ecosystem. As always, we close with rapid fire.

Tom Benson is the lead geologist at Lithium Americas Topics: What makes a viable lithium resource? Project time lines The world's top resources - #1 may surprise you Thacker Pass Projects, protests, and politics Being a good neighbor Sustainability Tom Benson’s version of the “Golden Rule” Great resources vs great projects Straight talk about sulfur Developing talent The “Lithium Lab” Environmental “imperialism” The battle for hearts and minds Rapid fire Tom can be found on Twitter @thomasrbenson

Dan Blondal, CEO & Alex Holmes, COO Topics: · M2CAM (metal to cathode active material) technology benefits · Latest developments in LFP cathode · Nano One’s LFP strategy outside China · Avoiding the “precursor problem” · The evolution of EV battery technology · Working with OEMs and mining companies · The future of battery supply chains in North America & Europe · Nano One’s differentiating technology · The cathode industry’s waste problem · Recycling and the “dirty little secret” of gigafactories · Partnerships with governments and industry · Nickel and manganese plays for Nano · Building the team · Battery geopolitics · Making improvements on the Asia battery model · New school supply chains · Rapid Fire Nano One on Twitter: @NanoOne_NANO

My brief remarks on the status of the lithium market followed by Q&A at the Panorama Minero "Lithium South America" event in Buenos Aires on September 29th, 2021. The Q&A begins at 12 minutes. The questions come from a variety of influential people in the world of lithium in South America. Below of is a list of the questions and the people asking them: 1- Daniel Jiménez, iLi Markets Your opinion on projects that plan to use DLE, not just in Argentina but also the US & Europe. 2- Miguel Soler: Secretaria de Minería e Hydrocarbons’ de Jujuy Based on your knowledge and the history of technology evolution during the 20th and present centuryy. How long you believe technologies demanding Lithium will stay with us? before they are replaced by others like Hydrogen and/or new developments ? 3- Flavia Royón, Secretaria de Minería y Energía de Salta What are the biggest threats you see, associated to the lithium industry development in LatAm in light of: the market dynamics, geopolitics, process technologies and the availability of other critical energy metals? 4- Teresita Regalado, Secretaria de Desarrollo Minero de Catamarca Thoughts on how to optimize Argentina's opportunity regarding the Lithium supply, taking into account its geographical location with respect to other sources of raw material located close(r) to where the highest industrial consumption is ? 5- José de Castro, COO de Integra Lithium Why, despite the fact CAPEX, OPEX, Water Footprint and Carbon Footprint are usually higher in most DLE processes than those in conventional evaporation, so many companies have been generating promises on “green and sustainable” processes, contrary to current productions and generating a bad feeling effect in public opinion? 6- Carlos Galli, Consultor/Especialista We discussed last year about the involvement of OEM (auto makers) in lithium production. Do you see any changes in their approach to try to secure lithium supply? What are your thoughts about this? 7- Alejandra Cardona, de la Cámara Minera de Salta y Mint Intelligence In the global context, the generation of clean energies is promoted as strategies to fight clámate change. Talingo care of the environment means more mining is needed. How did this impact lithium & other E-mobility related minerals supply projections on a global scale and how does Argentina position itself in this scenario? 8- Alejandro Colombo, Director Periodístico de Panorama Minero Are you expecting a bigger move from overseas Chinese companies through M&As? What response is expected from the United States and Europe to ensure a sustainable supply chain in the coming years? 9- Ignacio Celorrio, Presidente para Latinoamerica - Lithium Americas En: Which sources of financing for Li Projects will emerge, in addition to the current ones ? Also, which countries you believe have the biggest potential to take new projects into production ? 10- Asistente al seminario - Event attendee There is not much talk about Lithium Chloride and solid state batteries use lithium metal. What is the projection of possible Lithium Chloride producers?

The live portion of this 20 minute episode was recorded in the iconic London pub "The Dove" with Benchmark's Simon Moores, his buddy Shay, Standard Lithium CEO Robert Mintak and Standard's Chairman Robert Cross. Initially the meeting was just supposed to be lunch with Simon. When the party grew to five, it seemed like a great opportunity to pull out my IPhone and record an impromptu podcast. The "live" portion is more about people coming out of lockdown and returning to international travel than lithium. I also talk about others I met on my first international trip since March 2020. I was also fortunate to catch up with the management of Livista Energy and the CEO of Fastmarkets and some other companies I am not a liberty to discuss - yet. Shout-outs to Panorama Minero who host a favorite event of mine in Argentina, the good citizens of El Dorado, Arkansas and two locals specifically - you have to listen to find out the reason. Finally, you will hear about plans to get Simon a bit of "southern cultural training" when he travels to Arkansas.

Carlos Galli is a globally recognized expert in lithium brine technology. This is a wide ranging discussion on the lithium market in Argentina including what needs to happen from a policy perspective to fully leverage Argentina’s diverse portfolio of lithium containing salars. The importance of access to adequate quantities of fresh water for lithium projects and the great debate of how brine use should be considered in the water discussion. We review the top projects in some detail. LAC/Minera Exar, Orocobre (both Sal de Vida & Cauchari Expansion), Livent's expansion, Neolithium, POSCO, Eramet, Rincon, Lithica, Millennial, etc. Ganfeng's ambitious plans beyond Cauchari We also discuss Lake Resources and their recent commentary about their future Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) is another topic both as it relates to Argentina and other parts of the world. The discussion strays across the border on occasion as we bring Chile and Bolivia into the discussion.

My guest is Stephen Biggins the Managing Director of Core Lithium. Core is developing the Finniss Lithium Project in the Northern Territory of Australia near the capital city of Darwin.  We discuss: Their project: from metallurgy to process details and timing Relationships with two top level lithium producers – Ganfeng and Yahua Offtake details The project DFS Drilling to grow the reserve base The benefits of developing a project in the Northern Territory Lithium “fines” as a by product The market: entering the “perpetual lithium deficit” Becoming vertically integrated in the future Project execution challenges Building a team ESG Rapid fire

My guest is Dale Henderson, Chief Operating Officer, of Pilbara Minerals. Topics include: An operations update Acquiring and restarting Altura’s operations Increasing production to ~550K MT of spodumene concentrate by mid-2022 and more than a 1,000K MT by mid-decade The market and price outlook Financing Adopting new technology to reduce the operation’s carbon footprint Potential new products Company culture Lessons learned in the lean years Rapid fire Dale is on Twitter @henderson_dale  Pilbara Minerals is on Twitter and Instagram @PilbaraMinerals

Adam Panayi is the Managing Director of UK based EV and Battery consultancy Rho Motion. The key to understanding the future direction of the lithium industry is understanding the growth of EVs and batteries as well understanding the developments in cathode chemistry and solid state. Shout outs to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, Simon Moores and Roger Atkins. In a little less than an hour we cover: How Rho Motion collects and parses data aka “how the forecast sausage is made” GWH projections for 2025 and 2030 – the driver of lithium demand The methodology of predicting Gigafactory utilization Stated Gigafactory capacity vs effective capacity EV penetration by region ESS – taking what batteries it can get (for now) Gigafactory start-up reject rates (the dirty little secret of battery producers) Warranties Why after several EV “false starts” it is different this time Cathode chemistry projections Rapid fire

Guests: Standard Lithium’s CEO, Robert Mintak and COO, Dr. Andy Robinson. Topics include: Managing a project and building a team remotely during Covid Getting the process right: scale and quality data matters The benefits of a building a new plant within a larger, established chemical operation Seeking attention and support from the Biden administration Timing of commercialization Potential of lithium from the Smackover formation beyond El Dorado The coming lithium supply mismatch with demand The actions needed from OEMs and policymakers After "rapid fire" I close the episode with comments/advice for the Biden administration on battery raw material supply chain policy

Alexi Zawadzki is the President of North American Operations for Lithium Americas (LAC).  He is currently leading the effort to bring Thacker Pass into production by mid decade. In this episode we discuss the resource (type and size), the current status of the project including pilot plant operations, LAC's commitment to sustainable project development, innovative mining and reclamation techniques, planned use of renewable energy and desire to minimize the impact to the environment.  Thacker Pass will be the first world class lithium resource to be brought online in the US in this century.

Jon Evans is one of the most effective and knowledgeable executives in the lithium world. He is also a great leader. I have known Jon for well over a decade. First as my boss when I was running FMC Lithium’s Asia operations. When I left FMC and started Global Lithium, Jon was often a source of insightful advice. He remains a mentor to me despite being a Zodiac calendar younger than I am. Yes, you can still use a mentor in your 60s. Among the topics we cover: The status LAC’s projects in Argentina (Cauchari) and the US (Thacker Pass) The positive aspects of Covid project delays Why a US critical metals supply chain will develop despite many with a “not in my backyard” mindset The high level of partnership interest in Thacker Pass and why Jon doesn’t want or need an offtake agreement LAC’s strong balance sheet and the flexibility it brings Building effective teams and how LAC hires Risk mitigation Global supply and demand The developing “broader audience” for lithium ESG Dangerous assumptions Why the industry will need to produce products beyond carbonate and hydroxide for the battery industry Rapid fire

Carlos Vicens is the CFO of Neo Lithium. We discuss the 3Qs project in Catamarca Province, Argentina. Topics include: Operating in Argentina Unexpected “benefits” of Covid in moving the project forward ESG – more than just the “E” Their partnership with global battery leader CATL Straight talk on product “cuts” The top challenges bringing a lithium project into production Setting the record straight on 3Qs logistics Price expectations DLE Financing path forward Rapid

The is part 2 of my 100th episode with highlights from some of my favorite episodes and guests.  Jon Evans - Lithium Americas Li Liangbin and Wang Xiaoshen - Ganfeng Eduardo Bitran - CORFO Ken Brinsden - Pilbara Minerals Dr Yuan Gao - ex CEO of Pulead Dan Blondal and Dr Stephen Campbell - Nano One The Lowry family

Chris Berry, President of House Mountain Partners ( www.discoveryinvesting.com ), is one of the most highly regarded battery metals analysts in the space. He was also the first guest on the Global Lithium Podcast in November of 2017. It seemed natural to bring Chris back for episode 100 especially given the recent resurgence of interest in lithium and other battery metals as the global energy transition unfolds. Known as "The Voice of Reason" Chris has a unique ability to speak plainly about complex topics. His insights regarding the increasing role of geopolitics in the development of battery supply chains makes this episode worth a listen. Chris can be found on twitter @cberry1

Jed Dorsheimer is the Global Head of Sustainability Research at Canaccord Genuity, Co-founder and President of the Biophysical Economics Institute and host of the Hidden Joule Podcast. Jed is a leading commentator on: Sustainability/ESG, Allocation of Resources, Climate Change, and Systems Complexity. We discuss: Economic ROI (Energy Return on Energy Invested) Basics of Thermodynamics An example of something that “Tesla did Differently” What does “Sustainability” really mean? Does Nuclear Power get a bad rap? An example of a well-intentioned German Policy Failure The Current State of ESG and Life Cycle Analysis ESG Funds – Clean & Green?? Considering “Negative Externalities” Concentrated vs Diffused Energy Systems Jed’s minimum EROI Criteria for Sustainability ESG Scoring Rapid Fire

Carlos Galli is an independent lithium consultant in Argentina. Carlos has worked on many brine projects both as a principal and a consultant. He learned from one of the best lithium minds in Argentina, his father Dr Daniel Galli. Topics covered in this episode include: Covid’s ongoing impact in Argentina Building a “lithium bridge” from the Argentine Puna to Europe for the EU battery supply chain Some underappreciated benefits of brine assets The “water dimension” in lithium projects and why it is often ignored or mischaracterized Ponds vs Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) DLE’s potential to bring quality (if not cost) advantages Why the Argentina President should stop hyping supply targets Ranking the top five Argentina lithium projects Value addition vs chasing the value chain How many projects can coexist on Salar del Hombre Muerto? Beyond DLE Bolivia – Saudi Arabia without oil? Rapid Fire

Alex Cheesemen (@ACheesey on Twitter) is an ex Australian military officer and a significant player in the Western Australia lithium industry. Alex had the unique “opportunity” to be one of the last people standing at Altura Mining. In this episode Alex will share what he learned in the process of helping bring a significant hard rock asset into production and then, due to the vagaries of lithium asset financing challenges and unfavorable market conditions, he was tasked with taking it through the receivership process. Alex has a great perspective on the WA lithium industry past, present, and future. We discuss: The timeframe for bringing projects into production Pros and Cons of having a lean project team DMS vs flotation The financial struggles of junior mining companies Learning how to connect Altura’s product with the conversion market in China The receivership experience and how the WA mining community helped out Thoughts on when currently shut in spodumene capacity will come back online Mineral Resources and Albemarle aka “watching the elephants dance” How much spodumene production can we expect from Australia in 2025 and 2030 How soon price will recover and to what level China and Australia trade tensions Why I may never be let back into WA Plus “Rapid Fire”

Episode 94: Simon Hay Simon Hay is the CEO of Galaxy Resources. We review the status of production at Mt Cattlin and development plans for Sal de Vida and James Bay. We discuss spodumene prices and why Galaxy will continue to sell at spot price in 2021. Simon makes “no apology” for the new phased development strategy at Sal de Vida and discusses the conditions that need to be in place to move James Bay forward. We discuss the pros and cons of having partners. Project execution and teams. The challenge of managing a project in Argentina from Perth during Covid. Will Western Australia producers learn the lessons from the past 24 months when considering capacity restarts? I ask Simon the best aspect of his job. And, as always, Rapid Fire.

Seth Goldstein is one of the best lithium analysts – anywhere. He works for top rated investment research company Morningstar where in addition to his lithium work he also chairs their EV committee. Prior to joining Morningstar, Seth worked for Berkshire Hathaway Energy. As part of his role with Morningstar Seth follows Albemarle, SQM and Livent; however, he is also well versed on other companies in the space, as well as the EV and cathode markets. Topics include: Seth’s analytical process Analyzing the former “Big 3” When will EVs achieve cost parity with ICE vehicles? Barriers to EV adoption EV penetration in 2025 and 2030 Why building recharging infrastructure is more important than subsidies Carbonate vs hydroxide – the market split in 2030 Is the lithium industry as opaque as it seems? Seth’s thoughts on the cost curve and future pricing Albemarle’s changing price strategy Will Tesla continue to lead in EVs? Handicapping new lithium projects and expansions Will the “Big 4” continue to dominate supply in 2030 LAC – the next major? Rapid Fire From my perspective this is a “top 10” episode. Seth can be found on twitter @SethGMStar1 Morningstar, Inc. is a leading provider of independent investment research in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The Company offers an extensive line of products and services for individual investors, financial advisors, asset managers, retirement plan providers and sponsors, and institutional investors in the debt and private capital markets. Morningstar provides data and research insights on a wide range of investment offerings, including managed investment products, publicly listed companies, private capital markets, debt securities, and real-time global market data. Morningstar also offers investment management services through its investment advisory subsidiaries, with approximately $215 billion in assets under advisement and management as of Sept. 30, 2020. The Company has operations in 29 countries. For more information, visit www.morningstar.com/company. Follow Morningstar on Twitter @MorningstarInc. Neither I, nor Global Lithium LLC have received compensation in any form from Morningstar.

Episode 90: Sigma Lithium - Ana Cabral-Gardner & Calvyn Gardner Sigma is developing a brownfield hard rock project in Brazil with a focus on “green mining” and ESG considerations.   Topics include: The three main considerations in developing Sigma’s resource ESG Sigma’s competitive position vs Australian Hard Rock producers Partnerships and Sigma’s plan for downstream lithium chemical participation The “social license” challenges for mining projects based on recent events in Brazil Why “green premiums” are not built into project financial estimates Life Cycle Assessment audits Covid challenges Lithium “hippies” plus rapid fire.

Episode 89: Livista Energy This episode features Daniel Bloor, CEO, and Jose Hofer, Commercial Manager, of Livista Energy. You can follow them on Twitter @LivistaEnergy and on Linked In as well as their website: Livista.Energy Livista plans to have the first large scale lithium conversion plant operating in Europe. In addition to discussing the project, we also cover: Battery passports and traceability The challenge of finding raw material supply Will “ESG compliant” material receive price premiums? Financing challenges Site selection Livista’s scope of ambition Does Europe need a strategic lithium stockpile? The future of lithium price