EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
According to InfoLink Consulting,China’s upstream lithium raw material prices continued their upward momentum through late August 2026. With battery-grade lithium carbonate crossing the RMB 150,000/MT threshold and spodumene SC6 holding near USD 2,100/MT amid tightening spot availability and pre-peak season restocking. Meanwhile, downstream pricing across the energy storage value chain remained stable, with average price levels for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells and energy storage systems (ESS) holding flat week-on-week.
Click here for a quick project snapshot
InfoLink Consulting, a Taiwan-based market research company, has released its latest China energy storage price assessment, showing increase in upstream lithium prices compared with its August 12 assessment, while mainstream lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cell and energy storage system prices remained unchanged.
Battery-grade lithium carbonate averaged RMB 149,000/MT on August 19, within a reported range of RMB 147,000–151,000/MT. This compares with an average of RMB 142,000/MT and a range of RMB 139,000–144,000/MT on August 12, representing a 4.93% increase between the two assessments. Spodumene concentrate SC6 on a CIF basis increased from USD 2,040/MT to USD 2,100/MT, equivalent to a 2.94% rise.
InfoLink attributed the latest lithium rebound to tight spot availability, a stronger basis and purchases linked to immediate downstream requirements. The firm said buying remained largely need-based despite higher futures prices, indicating that the recovery was being driven more by near-term supply-demand conditions than a broad improvement in demand. Delays surrounding the resumption of the Jianxiawo lithium mine continued to limit expectations for additional near-term supply, while production schedules for electric vehicle and energy storage cells remained elevated.
The increase in raw material prices did not translate into higher LFP cell prices during the period. Average prices for 100 Ah cells remained at RMB 0.440/Wh, while both 280 Ah and 314 Ah cells remained at RMB 0.360/Wh. InfoLink said manufacturers continued to prioritize order fulfillment, long-term agreements and customer relationships despite increasing raw material cost pressure. The 314 Ah format continued to be the mainstream specification for utility-scale storage applications.
ESS pricing was also unchanged. Average prices remained at RMB 0.49/Wh for two-hour DC systems, RMB 0.84/Wh for one-hour AC systems, RMB 0.58/Wh for two-hour AC systems, and RMB 0.53/Wh for four-hour AC systems. InfoLink noted that system pricing depends on more than battery cells, including PCS, transformers, EMS, BMS, thermal management, fire protection, commissioning, delivery and warranty requirements.
The comparison therefore shows stronger upstream lithium pricing alongside stable downstream cell and integrated ESS prices.