Downstream, in the context of lithium, refers to the processing, manufacturing and distribution of lithium products, primarily lithium-ion batteries.
Do supply chain approaches account for emergent properties of battery production networks?
They pay only limited attention to organisational and geographical relations, and they overlook critical areas of intersection between battery production and OEM manufacturing for automotive and power sectors. As a result, supply chain approaches do not fully account for emergent properties of battery production networks.
To access lithium brines in wet climates and improve lithium recovery, Direct lithium extraction (DLE) is gaining popularity. After prefiltration, DLE systems produce a lithium chloride solution of 1,000 mg/L containing impurities, with leading DLE systems achieving lithium to total dissolved solids ratio >0.08.
What is a supply chain analysis of battery production?
Most analyses of battery production adopt a supply chain approach, focussing on the flow and transformation of materials from primary production via manufacturing to final assembly, see e.g.,,, rather than a network of strategic interactions among economic and non-economic actors.
Framed as a supply chain, research on battery production also engages with potential geopolitical issues arising from bottlenecks in supply and import dependence around 'critical' raw materials, , , , , , .
How will a new battery supply chain affect Europe?
Their overall effect is likely to be a shortening of supply chains and a regionalisation of production networks, as evidenced by Europe's accelerating efforts to establish a full domestic battery value chain.
How does decarbonisation impact lithium-ion battery technology?
Growing demand for energy storage linked to decarbonisation is driving innovation in lithium-ion battery (LiB) technology and, at the same time, transforming the organisation of established LiB production networks.