It’s been a big week for lithium, with a multi-billion-dollar mega-merger, a new major production deal in Chile, and funding for Europe’s first large-scale lithium refinery in Chile. Things are looking up for the vital battery metal. Australian lithium miners Galaxy Resources (ASX:GXY) and Orocobre (ASX:ORE) agreed on a merger worth $3.1 billion , which will make them the fifth-largest lithium producer in the world. The company, to be based in Buenos Aires, plans to produce electric vehicle (EV) batteries using refined lithium to meet the increasing global demand. The new company, which has yet to be named, is expected to achieve a 10 percent share of the lithium market within the next five to seven years. At the same time, Chilean lithium and iodine producer SQM also signed a seven-year agreement to produce lithium hydroxide for use in 500,000 EV batteries alongside chemicals company Johnson Matthey’s. Chile currently […]