lithium industry primer - plateau energy metals...•lithium is a chemical element used in...
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LITHIUM INDUSTRY PRIMER
TSX-V: PLU | OTCQB: PLUUF
November 2019
TSX-V:PLU
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Executive Summary
2
• Demand for lithium is growing +20% annually
• Lithium is a chemical element used in lithium-ion batteries
• Lithium-ion batteries are important in revolutionizing the transport market, renewable energy
storage systems and on-going use in electronics (electric vehicles, smart phones, laptops, build out
of Internet of Things)
• Lithium demand growth is a result of a global clean energy push
• Global push towards clean energy, carbon emissions reduction and reduced fossil fuels reliance
• Megafactory (battery production) ramping up with +$110 billion in investment out to 2028
• +100 “megafactories” in operation, in construction or planned
• Car manufacturers building out EV capabilities and models with +$300 billion in investments
• Investment likely focused on low risk lithium supply
• Car companies and megafactories continue to seek raw materials supply
• Ideal supply asset attributes include: long life (30+ years), scalable (to meet growing demand),
high quality product (low impurities), resilience (high margin), geopolitically stable sourcing
• Asset desirability is derived from ability to reliably produce a low impurity, battery-grade product
• Potential for strong risk-return profile given macro backdrop and committed capital
Source: Benchmark Mineral Intelligence
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Battery Supply Chain
3
Upstream Downstream
Core Raw Materials
• Lithium
• Graphite
Semi Processed Products
• Anode
• Cathode
• Separators
Batteries
• Cells
• Various form
factors (18650)
Battery Packs
• 4-7Wh
• 7-10 kWh
• 40-85 kWh
• >500 kWh
Mobile / EV / Utility
• Smartphone
• Home
• EVs
• Commercial
• $400 billion in capital requires supply chain certainty
• Lithium-ion is the dominant battery technology
• Lithium is one of the lightest elements and has the best energy density, key
characteristics for mass market adoption
• Growth in demand driven by electric transport, energy storage, consumer electronics
and technological advances increasing lithium content
>$400 Billioncommitted capital
~$24 Billioncapital required
Executive Summary
• Cobalt
• Nickel
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LITHIUM
DEMAND
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Lithium Demand
5
• Lithium has a vast array of uses, including:
• Batteries. Best known application, and strongest growth prospect for lithium
• Lubricant Grease. Lithium-based greases make up 75% of the market. Lithium has good
stability, high temperature characteristics and water-resistance properties
• Glass. Provides energy savings for glass manufacturers due to increased melting efficiencies
• Ceramics. Used to produce glazes to improve ceramic’s shock absorption and stain resistance
• Health Products. Prescribed in small amounts for medical purposes
• Growth in demand is anticipated to be driven primarily by the batteries market
• Shift from primarily industrial purposes to batteries
• Lithium currently provides the best combination of energy density and price
• +80 different lithium-ion battery chemistries in production, with the varying chemistries providing
different characteristics (capacity, voltage, etc.)
Source: Mining.com article from January 2017 (http://www.mining.com/web/lithium-supply-demand-story/). Article sources Deutsche Bank
Markets Research - Lithium 101
30%
60%
12%
25%
38%
14%
14%
1%
6%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
2025 Demand
2015 Demand
Non-Battery Batteries (Traditional Market) Electric Vehicles E-Bikes Energy Storage
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Lithium Content Current Technology
6
• Lithium is a key component in current and future technology
• Lithium content is determined by battery capacity in kilowatt-hours (kWh)
• It is estimated that 0.7 - 0.9 kg of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) is required per kWh
• The larger the kWh battery pack, the greater the range, the more lithium is required
Source: Visualcapitalist.com article from February 2017 (https://www.visualcapitalist.com/lithium-fuel-green-revolution/)
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Green Technology Growth
7
• Global shift towards green, environmentally friendly energy sources
• Lithium-ion batteries most widely used choice for energy storage
• Lithium is a key driver in the shift towards green power due to its extremely high electrochemical
potential and its weight (the lightest metal on the periodic table)
• Demand for lithium will be driven by energy storage and EVs
Source: Visualcapitalist.com article from February 2017 (https://www.visualcapitalist.com/lithium-fuel-green-revolution/)
Energy Storage Electric Vehicles
As cost/kWh comes down, more affordable mass market
vehicles can be offered to consumers
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All Automakers Developing EVs
8
Over $300 billion committed from major carmakers to developing electric vehicles
Source: Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, February 2019 publication (Financing 2030: How Much Money & Material is Needed to Make the EV Supply
Chain Happen?) and CNN article from November 16, 2018 (Volskwagen to spend $50 billion on electric car ‘offensive’)
(www.cnn.com/2018/11/16/business/volkswagen-electric-cars/index.html)
EV Strategy Timeline
To
tal
An
nu
al
Veh
icle
Pro
du
cti
on
2022 2025 2030
10-12M
5-9M
1-4MDaimler to bring
10 pure EVs to the
market by 2022
Ford planning to invest
$11Bn by 2022, will have 40
hybrid and full EV models
Launching 12 EV models
by 2022GM planning to
introduce at least 20 EVs
by 2023
Aiming to develop 8 EV
models by 2025, with 30
planned by 2030
Has set a target of two thirds
of vehicle sales EV by 2030
Toyota sales target of ~1M
EVs and fuel-cell vehicles by
2030; investment $13Bn to
develop and make batteries
VW Group plans to invest +$50Bn in zero-
emission vehicles by 2023; Will develop 80
EV models by 2025, want to offer an electric
version of each of its 300 models by 2030
PSA aims to develop at
least 40 electric vehicles by
2025
BMW plans to deliver 12
pure EVs by 2025
Chinese OEMs expected to
comply with 20% EV
penetration rate ruling by
2025
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EV Adoption Supported Globally
9
Several governments have come out in support of EV adoption
Source: Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, February 2019 publication (Financing 2030: How Much Money & Material is Needed to Make the EV Supply
Chain Happen?)
Canada
Target of 30% penetration of EV
sales by 2030 (Quebec targeting
100% zero emissions by 2050)
BC recently tabled Zero Emissions
Vehicles Act – 100% zero emission
new vehicle sales by 2040, targets
starting 2025 at 10%
USA
No federal target set, 10 states
have set targets for 100% zero
emissions vehicles by 2050
Mexico & Brazil
Target of 30% penetration of
electric vehicle sales by 2030
Israel
Proposal to end ICE sales by 2030
India
Proposal to end ICE sales by 2030
China
Target of 5% penetration of EV sales
by 2020, 20% by 2025
Japan & South Korea
Target of 30% penetration of EV sales
by 2030
Government Policy Continues to Support Electric Vehicle Adoption
UK & France
Proposal to end ICE (internal combustion engines)
by 2040
Norway & Netherlands
Proposal to end ICE sales by 2035
Germany
Proposal to end ICE sales by 2030
Italy
Target of 30% penetration of EV sales by 2030
Europe
Considerations for EU wide ban of ICE by 2030
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Energy Storage: Megafactories
10
• Battery cell manufacturing has also attracted significant capital
• +$110 billion in investment with +100 “megafactories” planned
• Significant build out of lithium-ion battery megafactories capacity out to 2028
• Aggressive expansion with planned capacity and number of plants dramatically
increasing since the first megafactory (Tesla’s) was announced in 2014
Source: Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, September 2019 publication (Rise of the lithium ion battery megafactories and the SA Energy Storage Case
Study).
Megafactory Capacity by RegionBenchmark Minerals – September 2019
+222% +590%
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Megafactories:
Aggressive Growth
11
Tesla’s factory in Nevada was the first megafactory to be announced in 2014
• Rapid growth in planned capacity additions has occurred since, with further ramp-up expected
Source: Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, January 2019 publication (Challenge Cobalt: The Major Supply Chain Issues Faced in 2019)
2015 Megafactory
Capacity Additions
Current
Megafactory
Capacity Build out
to 2028
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Raw Material Demand Evolution
12
• Raw material required for batteries focused on lithium, graphite, cobalt & nickel
• Forecasts show 7.2x anticipated growth in lithium demand as a key component
• Raw material demand evolution (100% utilisation rate) shows strong lithium growth
-
500,000
1,000,000
1,500,000
2,000,000
2,500,000
2018 2023 2028
To
nn
es
Lithium Graphite Cobalt Nickel
Source: Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, January 2019 publication (Challenge Cobalt: The Major Supply Chain Issues Faced in 2019)
Anticipated Growth:
✓ Lithium 7.2x
✓ Graphite 6.9x
✓ Cobalt 3.7x
✓ Nickel 11.3x
2,027.1 GWh
1,234.8 GWh
293.7 GWh
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Supply Attribute Checklist
13
• OEMs and megafactories require supply with strong attributes
✓ Quality. Consistent product quality with low impurity characteristics
✓ Supply Security. Geopolitically stable source, responsible mining practices
✓ Longevity. Long life assets to enhance supply chain security
✓ Economic Resilience. Assets with resilience to shifting chemical prices
End Use
Application
(EV, ESS)
Cathode
Production
Suppliers of
Raw Materials
• Projects with these attributes will reduce
supply risks and will attract investment
• Assets that are interconnected → control risk
factors → ensure a lower risk return on the R&D
invested
• Relationships are being developed across the
supply chain to reduce risk
Processing/
Refining
Battery Cell
Manufacturing
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LITHIUM
SUPPLY
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Lithium Supply
15Source: USGS 2019 and publicly listed company resource statements
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Lithium Supply
16
• Lithium is abundant globally but tends to be deposited in low concentrations
• Lithium supply currently produced from brine deposits or traditional hard rock deposits
• Key challenge is finding high enough concentrations to make it cost efficient to produce
• Most of known supply comes from Latin America, Australia and China
• Supply currently oligopolistic in structure: three countries (Chile, Australia, China) account for
~85%, and four companies (Talison, SQM, Albemarle, Livent) control most output
• Brine assets are in Latin America, hard rock predominantly Australia while China has both
• New supply challenges
• Construction challenges are hindering the rate of new supply entering the market
• Technical challenges and capacity constraints involved with processing and producing a high
quality battery grade product are dampening supply forecasts
• Battery grade produced in two forms – lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide
• Brines first produce a lithium carbonate, with further processing required for lithium hydroxide
• Hard rock spodumene deposits produce a concentrate followed by a conversion to hydroxide
Source: Visualcapitalist.com article from January 2015 (https://www.visualcapitalist.com/lithium-key-ingredient-powering-todays-
technology/) and McKinsey publication from June 2018 (Lithium and Cobalt – a tale of two commodities)
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Battery Materials Makeup
17
• The value of a project’s revenue stream is tied to its final lithium product
• End product specifications differ by application, but most contaminants must be reduced below
certain limits to achieve a material that is considered battery grade
• +99.5% considered battery grade, <99.5% considered technical grade
• Value also impacted by impurities and buyers’ needs (product technical specifications)
• Technical-grade lithium carbonate is cheaper to produce but rarely meets specifications required
for battery manufacturers (rather tends to be used for industrial applications)
Source: August 2018 article What is Lithium Carbonate by A. Kay and Benchmark Minerals January 2019 article
(https://www.benchmarkminerals.com/lithium-supply-revisited/)
• Lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide
both have a future cathode requirements
• Both are needed for different variations of
battery cells that are currently commercialized
or near-term commercial
• Lithium metal is needed for solid state batteries
(no commercial applications are viable at scale
yet)
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Brine Deposit Overview
18
• Lithium brine deposits currently represent ~66% of global lithium resources
• Form in salars (salt lakes), basins where water has leached lithium from the volcanic rocks
• Lithium is extracted by pumping the brines into a series of evaporation ponds, crystallizing the
other salts out of the brine, leaving a lithium-rich liquor (~18-month process)
• Further processing is required to remove impurities prior to conversion into a lithium carbonate
(Li2CO3) which contains ~19% lithium. Further conversion to a higher-grade hydroxide is possible,
although the process can be expensive
Source: Visualcapitalist.com article from January 2015 (https://www.visualcapitalist.com/lithium-key-ingredient-powering-todays-
technology/) and McKinsey publication from June 2018 (Lithium and Cobalt – a tale of two commodities)
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Brine Deposit Overview (Cont’d)
19
• Found primarily in the salt flats of Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, China and Tibet
• The “Lithium Triangle” in Latin America holds ~70% of global reserves and is a major industrial
producer of lithium
• Brine deposits have been the dominant source of production due to lower costs
• Typically easier to explore, shorter timeline to production, and require less upfront capital
(although longer working capital cycles)
Source: Visualcapitalist.com article from January 2015 (https://www.visualcapitalist.com/lithium-key-ingredient-powering-todays-technology/)
and McKinsey publication from June 2018 (Lithium and Cobalt – a tale of two commodities)
Lithium Triangle
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Hard Rock Deposit Overview
20
• Lithium hard rock deposits are primarily spodumene deposits
• Most lithium hard rock minerals are found in pegmatites of which spodumene is the most prevalent
• Most spodumene projects today produce a spodumene concentrate of at least 6% Li2O via crushing,
milling and flotation/gravity concentration
• The spodumene concentrate is then sold to a conversion plant and processed, primarily in China. A
concentrate below 6% results in a steep discount on pricing
• Conversion then involves crushing and heating of the concentrate at ~1050C with soda ash
(calcination step). Post calcination, the product is quenched in a sulfate solution (sulfuric acid), then
precipitated as a high purity lithium hydroxide/carbonate
• Approximately 7-8 tonnes of 6% concentrate are required to convert to 1 tonne of lithium carbonate
or hydroxide. The conversion process adds approximately $2,000/t to the total cost of battery grade
product and the remaining is profit to the converter
• Other hard rock lithium deposits exist today
• ‘Soft rock’ – clay deposits existing primarily in Nevada and Northern Mexico, lithium chemical
product (not a concentrate)
• Tuff – volcanic rock, similar to the primary source material for liquid brines prior to water leaching,
lithium chemical product (not a concentrate)
• Other – lithium-boron deposits, tend to be lower grade lithium, relying on boron revenue
Source: McKinsey publication from June 2018 (Lithium and Cobalt – a tale of two commodities) and July 2018 article Not All Lithium Mining is
Equal: Hard Rock (Pegmatites) vs. Lithium Brine by N. LePan
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Hard Rock Deposit Overview
21
Source: McKinsey publication from June 2018 (Lithium and Cobalt – a tale of two commodities) and July 2018 article Not All Lithium Mining is
Equal: Hard Rock (Pegmatites) vs. Lithium Brine by N. LePan
• Australia is the largest global producer of spodumene concentrate
• Hard rock deposits are less dependent on a changing climate/environmental factors for production
when compared to brine assets
• Cost of producing lithium hydroxide is competitive versus brine deposits
• Spodumene can be directly transformed into hydroxide while brine deposits must first produce a
carbonate product prior to conversion to hydroxide
• Cost of producing lithium carbonate from spodumene is more expensive than from brines
• Operating cost highly dependent on re-agent consumption and price (sulfuric acid, soda ash)
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Brine vs Hard Rock Comparison
22
Brine Deposits:
+ Lower operating costs, quicker timeline to initial production
- Longer ramp-up to full production (evaporation in large ponds in unique climates), expansion
and producing a battery grade product versus technical grade has been challenging
Hard Rock Deposits:
+ Faster processing rate, a more reliable and consistent product
- Getting to production can take longer and be costlier, no value added product (concentrate)
unless fully integrated
Source: July 2018 article Not All Lithium Mining is Equal: Hard Rock (Pegmatites) vs. Lithium Brine by N. LePan
Brine Deposits Hard Rock Deposits
ADVANTAGES ✓ Widely accepted, dominant source of production currently
✓ Easier and quicker permitting process
✓ Typically found in flat and arid areas making exploration easier
✓ Decreased environmental impact
✓ Softer rock, less geological complexity
✓ Typically shallower than hard rock mines
✓ Smaller scale requires less capital upfront
✓ Cost of producing lithium carbonate much lower, however needs
additional refining
✓ Reliable and consistent production (“truck and shovel mining”)
✓ Quick processing durations
✓ Geographically dispersed
✓ Less dependent on changing climate for production
✓ Cost of producing lithium hydroxide competitive
✓ Final product better suited to the higher quality (low impurity)
product specifications required to achieve battery grade material
DISADVANTAGES Limited to select climates and regions due to processing
methodology, therefore processing is weather dependent
Achieving low impurity battery grade (+99.5%) carbonate
requires additional refining
Longer processing duration (~16 months)
Smaller scale operations (scalability a challenge)
Process to convert lithium carbonate to hydroxide expensive
Significant freshwater requirement for operations
High progressive royalty rates (Chile, Argentina)
Longer timeline from first discovery to production
Deposit style tends to lend itself to higher mining costs later in
the life of mine
Typically higher upfront capital cost requirement
Higher cost to produce lithium carbonate than brines
Challenges with achieving modelled recoveries
Significant pricing differential dependent on product
~40% of value chain not retained by concentrate only producers
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For illustrative purposes only
Comparison -Plateau’s Falchani Lithium project
For illustrative purposes only
1. See news release date July 18, 2019
1
Falchani Lithium
hard rock lithium project potential to be scalable fast to product cycle
high value end-product (not a concentrate) 100% of the value chain
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Trends & Observations
24
• Spodumene Vertical Integration:
Spodumene projects are realizing the need to become fully integrated to capture 100% of the value
chain. However, capital costs may be a limiting factor.
• Limitations on Brine Expansion & Quality:
Brine projects are experiencing the challenges of expanding production, and achieving battery grade
carbonate without further, and costly, refining.
• Lithium Carbonate and Lithium Hydroxide both have a place:
Lithium hydroxide may be the faster growing segment as its much smaller today, but lithium carbonate
will remain strong. Both chemicals have a strong role in the foreseeable future.
• Strategic Assets Can Scale:
Assets with characteristics that can readily scale production are desirable. The “lens” the supply chain is
looking through now is projects with potential to expand to 50,000 tpa LCE and then to 100,000 tpa LCE.
• Impurity Reduction to ppb:
The trend to lower and lower impurity levels is critical to better batteries (safety and efficiency). Projects
that can produce a low impurity product are optimal as it requires less refining before being suitable.
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• The key attributes for lithium project success
• Long life Asset. 20+ years desirable
• Scalable. Ability to grow alongside demand
• Battery Grade Product. high quality lithium chemical product with product flexibility
• Economic Resilience. Lower half of the cost curve supports supply security
• Responsible Mining Jurisdictions. Responsible mining practices mandated by governments
with a history of stable local and foreign investment
• Falchani can potentially meet what OEMs and megafactories seek1
✓ Longevity. 6th largest hard rock lithium project today with room to grow2
✓ Scalability. Amenable to open pit mining and conventional, scalable processing
✓ Quality. 99.74% lithium carbonate with low impurities demonstrated to date
✓ Cost Competitive. Targeting lower half of cost curve
✓ Supply Security. Peru is a mining nation ranked 14th (out of 83) by Fraser Institute3
1. Source: McKinsey publication from June 2018 (Lithium and Cobalt – a tale of two commodities)
2. Based on the Company’s review of publicly available data, as at March 4, 2019
3. Fraser Institute – 2018 Annual Survey of Mining Companies
Summary
Contact Information
PlateauEnergyMetals.com
(416) 628-9600
@pluenergy
Alex Holmes, CEO & Director
Disclaimer: The research in this presentation is provided for general informational purposes only and the opinions expressed are based upon Plateau Energy Metals Inc.’s (“Plateau” or the “Company”) analysis and
interpretation and are not to be construed as a solicitation or offer to buy or sell the securities mentioned herein. The particulars contained herein were obtained from sources which Plateau believes to be reliable
and current as of October 2019 but are not guaranteed by Plateau and may be incomplete. This presentation may include forward-looking information or forward-looking statements concerning the future
performance of Plateau’s business and operations, as well as management’s current objectives, strategies, beliefs and intentions that involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to
be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the current opinions and expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements
are reasonable based on information available at the time, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements since the Company can provide no assurance that such opinions and expectations
will prove to be correct. Actual events or results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements and Plateau cautions against placing undue reliance thereon. Neither Plateau nor its
directors or management assume any obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements, except as required by securities laws. This presentation summarizes information about the Company and
readers are encouraged to review Plateau’s complete public disclosure including Risks and Uncertainties, as described in more detail in the Company’s MD&A filed on August 22, 2019 and recent securities filings
available at www.sedar.com. All dollars noted in this presentation are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.