DUBLIN, Jan. 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/rtm2hj/global_and) has announced the addition of the "Global and Chinese Lithium Carbonate Industry Report, 2016-2020" report to their offering.

Driven by a surge in sales volume of new energy vehicles in China, the upstream material- lithium carbonate was in short supply in the fourth quarter of 2015 with soaring prices. Global lithium carbonate output increased by 12.3% year on year to 202,800 tons in 2015 and is expected to arrive at 244,200 tons in 2016, 288,900 tons in 2017, and 341,000 tons in 2018, a rise of 20.4%, 18.3%, and 18.4% from a year ago, respectively.

The booming sales of new energy vehicles worldwide will boost lithium carbonate consumption significantly. According to estimates, every 100,000 new energy vehicles (electric bus (40%), electric sedan (20%), hybrid bus (25%), and hybrid sedan (15%)) will create a demand of 5,000 tons to 8,000 tons of battery-grade lithium carbonate, about a rise of 5%-8% in global demand for battery-grade lithium carbonate.

The price of lithium carbonate in China has been going straight up since Oct 2015 with that of industrial-grade and battery-grade lithium carbonate rising substantially (to RMB120,000/t and RMB150,000/t in Jan 2016, respectively, when battery-grade lithium hydroxide was quoted at RMB140,000/t, compared with the bottom price of lithium carbonate standing at RMB50,000/t). It is expected that global demand for lithium carbonate will outpace supply during 2016-2017, leading to a continued price rise during this period. As new lithium carbonate capacities are gradually released after 2017, the price will tend to stabilize.

Global lithium resources are primarily concentrated in Chile and China. However, as the Chinese lithium carbonate manufacturers are restrained by production technology, the supply of capacity is limited and Chile and Australia hold the lion's share of global capacity. The world's top3 players- SQM, FMC, and Rockwood together seize more than 56% market share, which give them a strong bargaining power over downstream companies and powerful pricing power and allow them to adjust prices according to market supply & demand and changes in production costs. Global lithium carbonate companies have successively expanded capacity so as to meet ever-increasing market demand in recent years. Meanwhile, a large number of newcomers outside the industry build new capacity and get involved in lithium carbonate business, thus reducing the concentration of the industry.

Key Topics Covered:

1 Overview of Lithium Carbonate

2 Development of Global Lithium Carbonate Industry

3 Development of Lithium Carbonate Industry in China

4 Import & Export of Lithium Carbonate in China

5 Production Costs and Prices

6 Chinese Lithium Battery Market

7 Major Global Companies

8 Major Chinese Lithium Carbonate Companies

- ABA Guangsheng Lithium Co., Ltd.

- Albemarle

- FMC

- Galaxy Resources

- Jiangxi Ganfeng Lithium Co., Ltd.

- Jiangxi Special Electric Motor Co., Ltd.

- Nordic Mining

- Orocobre

- Qinghai Salt Lake Industry Co., Ltd.

- SQM

- Sentient

- Shanghai China Lithium Industrial Co., Ltd.

- Sichuan Jixiang Lithium Co., Ltd.

- Sichuan Ni & Co Guorun New Materials Co., Ltd.

- Sichuan Tianqi Lithium Industries, Inc.

- Sichuan Western Resources Holding Co., Ltd.

- Simbol Mining

- Tibet Mineral Development Co., Ltd.

- Tibet Urban Development and Investment Co., Ltd.

- Western Mining Co., Ltd.

- Xinjiang Lithium Salt Plant

- YOUNGY Co., Ltd. (formerly Luxiang)

For more information visit

http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/rtm2hj/global_and

Media Contact:

Laura Wood, +353-1-481-1716, press@researchandmarkets.net

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SOURCE Research and Markets