Itochu to invest in the United States lithium resources
There are news, Itochu Corporation (Itochu) has been to the U.S. Resources Development Company Simbol Mining (Simbol companies) to invest in joint development of lithium resources.
Itochu through this investment, not only the production of lithium-ion batteries and lithium ion battery parts, and speed up the building involved to ensure that upstream.
At present, Itochu sales Simbol production of lithium compounds, and obtained, including in Japan and South Korea for the Asian countries, including the right of the general sales agent.
Simbol, based in California, the company in the world’s first geothermal brine manufacturing lithium compounds. Southern California, the development of geothermal brine was found to contain a large number of lithium resources VGP-BPS8A , VGP-BPS9 .
Simbol in 2007 as a subsidiary of U.S. Energy Office of Lawrence? Lifeimoer National Laboratory (LLNL) independent branches, the establishment of special development of geothermal brine contains lithium extraction. Simbol the acceptance of Itochu as strategic partners in business planning.
Simbol plans annual production of about 16,000 tons. With the expansion of demand, can be added within a short time, increase production, annual output will reach 64,000 tons, is now the world production of about 123,000 tonnage of 50%.
Itochu in mid-term business plan, the “battery” defined as areas of priority development areas. The company forecasts for hybrid electric vehicles and other materials used in lithium ion Latitude D620 battery rapid growth in demand, and try to make the company become an important source of supply of lithium resources.