1) While SQM plans to expand lithium production capacity to 216,000 tonnes by 2025, analysts say this will not affect supply for 4-5 years due to the time needed to complete expansions. When the expansions are finished, demand is still expected to outpace supply.
2) Forecasts show lithium demand exceeding 1 million tonnes per year by 2026, far more than SQM's potential 2025 capacity.
3) Meeting the goal of electrifying the world's vehicle fleet by 2050 would require average annual lithium production of 3.1 million tonnes for 20 years.