China’s critical minerals dominance and the implications for the global energy transition

With the world’s renewable energy capacity reaching record levels, attention has shifted to the risks involved in sourcing critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, and graphite, essential for sustaining these industries. China’s dominance over global critical minerals supply chains has led the US, EU, and other major consumers to diversify their foreign sources while also developing domestic resources and strengthening recycling capacity. In this podcast, S&P Global Commodity Insights’ Euan Sadden, senior editor for EMEA, is joined by Leah Chen, team lead for battery metals, and Nick Trickett, senior analyst for metals and mining. They examine this dynamic and consider whether China should be recognized as a partner or a competitor by Western economies in the realm of critical minerals and the renewable energy transition. Price assessments (subscriber content): BATCA04 Lithium Carbonate DDP China BATCN00 Recycled Lithium Carbonate DDP China  BATLS00 Lithium Spodumene 5.5% Li2O CIF China  BATSP03 Lithium Spodumene 6% FOB Australia  BATSS00 Lithium Spodumene 0.1% differential    LCCIF00 Lithium Carbonate CIF Europe  BATLA00 Lithium Triangle (LiT) FOB   ANINO00 Low-Grade Nickel Ore  ANIOC00 High-grade Nickel Ore