This Tech Breakthrough Could Transform The Electric Car Market Dear Reader, And lithium supply is drastically failing to keep up with the boom… But one breakout company is about to change all that with a new game-changing tech With the ability to produce lithium far cheaper and more than 700 times faster than its competitors The lithium race has begun, and this tech stock is leading the charge Thankfully, International Battery Metals Ltd. (CSE:IBAT; OTC: RHHNF) is seeking to revolutionize the economics of Lithium extraction. Traditional solar evaporation technology takes up to 24 months to extract lithium from metal heavy brine. IBAT’s incoming CEO John Burba says he can do it in 24 hours. Not only that - traditional methods only recover 40 percent of the resource. With their new tech, IBAT can achieve lithium extraction rates of up to 90 percent. Elon Musk even offered $325 million to acquire the CEO’s previous company - which owned the technology underlying IBAT’s technology. That’s why we’re so interested in the International Battery Metals story. Here are 5 reasons why you should be paying attention:
The Lithium Megaboom We’re witnessing an explosion in global demand for Lithium, and supply isn’t even close to keeping up. That’s why Lithium spot prices have nearly tripled since 2015. The price per metric ton in Chinese spot markets is up from $6,500 to over $20,000. Lithium’s wild ride is just beginning. Demand for the metal is set to soar in coming years, and we believe that represents a massive investor opportunity. The global battery market is set to hit $120 billion in less than two years. Electric car production is expected to increase more than thirtyfold by 2030, hitting 24.4 million in annual vehicle sales - up from under 1 million today. The Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) 70kWh Model S battery pack contains 63Kg of lithium, equivalent to the amount of lithium in 10,000 cellphones. The total investment in new mines will likely range from $350 billion to $750 billion, according to analysts at researcher Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. Even that won’t bring enough capacity online. Game Changing Lithium Extraction Technology International Battery Metals (CSE:IBAT; OTC: RHHNF) will soon have the solution. The technology they have an LOI to acquire could be a significant key to unlocking $84 billion in lithium brine resources—by making it faster and cheaper to produce. Lithium is currently produced through a grueling 18-24-month solar evaporation process that entails slowly extracting all other elements from the brine until only lithium remains. The proven method will reduce extraction times to as little as 24 hours. Better still - it will improve recovery from roughly 40 percent to over 90 percent of all lithium. According to incoming IBAT CEO John Burba, the mastermind of this technology, the process takes the lithium out on a continuous basis. As the brine goes by, it collects lithium and lets the other impurities continue on and go straight back into the ground. The end-product is a diluted stream of lithium chloride and water that comes out as the brine goes by. Unlocking $84 Billion Worth Of Lithium Lithium brine deposits are estimated to contain 66 percent of the world’s 14 million metric tonnes (MT) of Lithium. That’s Lithium worth $84 billion at current prices. With their soon-to-be acquired extraction breakthrough, International Battery Metals (CSE:IBAT; OTC: RHHNF) could be the fastest-producing lithium company in the world. In late July, IBAT signed an option agreement to purchase 37,500 acres in the Woodbury Carper Lithium Resource Project in Illinois. But, there’s a bigger opportunity than production. If proved up this technology could be highly disruptive, offering one of the fastest-to- production Lithium brine extraction solutions out there. That’s an enormous opportunity, and the industry is taking notice. How This Play Was Almost Taken Off The Market Investors came very close to missing out John Burba’s genius entirely when his previous company was nearly acquired in 2014. Tesla Motors will use up the entire world’s supply of battery-grade lithium when it hits annual production of 500K Model 3s in its Nevada Gigafactory later in 2018. They’re the single largest lithium consumer on Earth. Musk wrote, "this is a compelling opportunity to combine two innovative companies on a mission to advance clean and sustainable energy technologies worldwide.” New York Global Investment Bank Jefferies valued Simbol at $2.5 billion. Fortunately - the deal never closed. So Musk may still be on the hunt for the incredible IBAT energy tech story. A Veteran Team Of Lithium Pioneers Inventor John Burba—a veteran in lithium extraction—is the incoming IBAT (CSE:IBAT; OTC: RHHNF) Chairman and CEO. He’s an extraction tech pioneer. FMC has been using that same tech for nearly 20 years, and it’s responsible for making some of the purest primary lithium carbonate in the world. Burba has since made dramatic advancements on the core technology. This has yielded significant improvements in terms of extraction time, cost and purity. Robert Miller will be working with IBAT on fund raising efforts. CONCLUSION Globally, demand for lithium is skyrocketing. With battery demand forecast to rise 7.7 percent to $120 billion already in 2019, this is a market on the move. What the world needs right now is plentiful supply of high-grade lithium to power that growth, and it won’t wait 12-24 months for evaporating ponds. With electric vehicles rapidly soaring in popularity, the lithium battery market could be at $46 billion by 2022. The technology to be acquired by International Battery Metals (CSE:IBAT; OTC: RHHNF) could be a game changer. It could will allow extraction of up to 98 percent of the metal from lithium brine in just 24 hours. This is the solution the industry has been waiting for.
While many investors thought the stock was overvalued after a stellar run in 2016, the recent correction and volatility in the stock has attracted new buyers and the stock has recovered since. While telecommunications stocks have been volatile recently, defense, IT and aerospace industries have outperformed and while many see limited upside, these industries continue to surprise both investors and analysts. By. Ian Jenkins This news release contains forward-looking information which is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements in this release include that: IBAT will complete its announced transaction to acquire lithium extraction technology and IP; global battery market is set to hit $120 billion in less than two years; that the lithium market is set to reach $1.7 billion by 2019; that the lithium-ion market is expected to exceed $46 billion by 2022; Tesla’s oncoming production is expected to use the world’s current supply of battery-grade lithium; that the price of lithium could go even higher; that IBAT’s soon-to-be-acquired Lithium extraction process will be cost effective and can work much more quickly than other extraction technologies; that the process can be commercialized for large scale production; that the John Burba and his incoming team will be as strong a team as anticipated; that the total investment in lithium mines will likely range from $350 to $750 billion; that IBAT’s soon-to-be-acquired technology could put it on cost par with the Big 3 lithium producers; that the option to purchase acreage in the Woodbury Carper Lithium Resource Project will be exercised; that IBAT plans to set up a pilot extraction facility in early 2018, and then secure additional licenses for other high-grade lithium brines by this summer; and that by 2020, IBAT anticipates becoming a supplier of various battery metals. These forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. Risks that could change or prevent these statements from coming to fruition include that: the Company may not complete its technology acquisition; that demand for lithium may not increase as expected or at all; that aspects or all of the extraction process development may not be successful, the process may not be cost effective, the Company may not raise sufficient funds to carry out its plans, changing costs for mining and processing; increased capital costs; the timing and content of upcoming work programs; geological interpretations and technological results based on current data that may change with more detailed information or testing; potential process methods and mineral recoveries assumption based on limited test work and by comparison to what are considered analogous deposits that with further test work may not be comparable; high value mineral properties may not be available for IBAT to acquire, or IBAT may not be able to afford them; competitors may offer better technology than IBAT’s to-be-acquired lithium extraction technology; the availability of labour, equipment and markets for the products produced; that total investment in lithium mines will be less than $350 billion; IBAT may not be able to finance its business plans; and despite the current expected viability of the project, that the minerals cannot be economically extracted with IBAT’s soon-to-be-acquired Lithium extraction process or that the required permits to build and operate the envisaged mines cannot be obtained. The forward-looking information contained herein is given as of the date hereof and the Company assumes no responsibility to update or revise such information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law.
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Monday, 19 March 2018
This Tech Breakthrough Could Transform The Electric Car Market
