EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
InfoLink Consulting reported a modest lithium price rebound for the week ending September 23 after sharp declines in the previous assessment. Battery-grade lithium carbonate rose 1.5% WoW and spodumene SC6 gained 1.1%, while China’s LFP energy storage cell and electrochemical ESS prices remained broadly stable.
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According to InfoLink Consulting’s September 23, 2026 energy storage price report, lithium raw material prices recovered modestly from the sharp declines recorded in the previous weekly assessment, while China’s LFP energy storage cell and electrochemical ESS transaction prices remained broadly stable.
Battery-grade lithium carbonate averaged RMB 132,000/MT, up 1.5% WoW, compared with RMB 130,000/MT on September 16, when prices had fallen 9.7% WoW. Spodumene concentrate SC6 averaged USD 1,870/MT, up 1.1% WoW, after averaging USD 1,850/MT and declining 13.1% in the previous assessment. The latest increases therefore represent a partial recovery from the previous week’s sharp correction rather than a return to the earlier price trend.
InfoLink attributed the rebound to stocking ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival and China’s National Day holidays, declining market and warehouse receipt inventories, and relatively tight spot supply. Argentina’s lithium salt exports declined month over month in August, while port congestion created uncertainty around Zimbabwean ore arrivals. However, pre-holiday stocking is nearing completion and spot trading volumes have declined, limiting the basis for a sustained upward trend.
China’s LFP storage cell market showed considerably less movement. 100 Ah cells averaged RMB 0.438/Wh, unchanged from the previous week after a 0.6% decline in the September 16 assessment. Both 280 Ah and 314 Ah cells averaged RMB 0.365/Wh, remaining flat WoW. InfoLink said utility-scale project deliveries continued to support larger-capacity formats, particularly 314 Ah cells.
Electrochemical ESS prices also remained unchanged. Average prices were RMB 0.49/Wh for 2-hour DC-side systems, RMB 0.84/Wh for 1-hour AC-side systems, RMB 0.58/Wh for 2-hour AC-side systems and RMB 0.53/Wh for 4-hour AC-side systems. Stable cell, PCS, transformer, thermal management, fire protection and control-system costs have limited the pass-through of recent lithium price volatility to system prices.
InfoLink expects lithium prices to remain volatile with a slight downward bias as Q4 supply recovers, while mainstream LFP cell and ESS prices are expected to remain broadly stable at low levels.