Supply Chain Price and Cost Forecast Report — Now includes:
Price forecast for ⦁ 306 Ah cell in international markets ⦁ 4-hour liquid-cooled DC container ｜Request Sample 👇
| Category | |
|---|---|
| Author | InfoLink |
| Updated | September 05, 2025 |
Lithium mine and lithium salt
Lithium spodumene concentrate and lithium carbonate prices have dropped back significantly in recent weeks. Updates as of September 5:
- Spodumene concentrate (SC6, CIF):
Price range: USD 840–850/MT
Average price: USD 845/MT
Previous average as of August 20: USD 950/MT
Change: down over 10% - Battery-grade lithium carbonate (spot):
Price range: RMB 74,000–75,000/MT
Average price: RMB 74,000/MT
Previous average as of August 20: RMB 84,000/MT
Change: down over 10%
The recent decline in lithium carbonate and spodumene prices was mainly due to announcements of production resumption by some lithium salt producers in late August, which eased market concerns over continued supply contraction. China’s spodumene imports reached about 64,100 MT LCE in July, up 32% MoM, with imports from Australia surging by 67.2%. In the same month, Argentina exported roughly 9,000 MT of lithium carbonate to China, a notable MoM increase; factoring in shipping schedules, these shipments are expected to arrive between late August and September.
At present, lithium carbonate inventories remain elevated, while supply `in non-China markets is relatively sufficient. Consequently, following the easing of production cut expectations in early August, lithium carbonate prices have turned to a unilateral downtrend.
Supply-side disruptions are still anticipated in Q3: mining companies in Yichun plan to submit reserve verification reports by the end of September, while the mining pace of local lepidolite resources remains uncertain. Such developments may continue to trigger short-term rebounds in prices.
On the demand side, energy storage and EV battery demand remains high in Q3, though downstream buyers show limited acceptance of high-priced battery-grade lithium carbonate. Following the recent price surge and subsequent pullback, lithium carbonate prices are expected to remain volatile in the short term.
Energy storage cells in China
Energy storage cell price quotes have edged up slightly. According to the latest data, prices for LFP prismatic cells are as follows, all slightly higher than in the previous update.
- 100 Ah: RMB 0.340–0.400/Wh, averaging RMB 0.370/Wh.
- 280 Ah: RMB 0.260–0.335/Wh, averaging RMB 0.298/Wh.
- 314 Ah: RMB 0.255–0.340/Wh, averaging RMB 0.298/Wh.
This month, rising lithium carbonate and cathode material prices have pushed up costs, prompting leading manufacturers to raise their quotes by RMB 0.003–0.01/Wh. Short-term demand remains relatively strong, with leading cell producers maintaining high utilization rates, providing some price support. However, as lithium prices fall below RMB 80,000/MT, cell costs decline, leaving limited room for further increases in storage cell prices.
Energy storage system (ESS) in China
ESS prices have remained stable recently. Prices are as follows, based on the latest data:
- DC-side liquid-cooled containerized ESS (2h): RMB 0.36–0.43/Wh, averaging RMB 0.40/Wh.
- AC-side liquid-cooled containerized ESS (1h): RMB 0.74–0.79/Wh, averaging RMB 0.77/Wh.
- AC-side liquid-cooled containerized ESS (2h): RMB 0.42–0.54/Wh, averaging RMB 0.48/Wh.
- AC-side liquid-cooled containerized ESS (4h): RMB 0.40–0.50/Wh, averaging RMB 0.45/Wh (the 4h ESS average price has risen, driven by some projects raising the ceiling price).
Overall, competition in the energy storage integration segment remains more intense than in the cell segment, with no significant price increases observed. In some of China’s major tenders in August, second- and third-tier companies continued to bid at near-cost levels to secure market share, making it difficult for integration prices to rebound in the short term.
