Australian manufacturer PLS is optimistic about the long-term prospects of lithium: energy storage and data center demand is on the rise.

Australia's largest pure lithium producer, PLS, is optimistic about the demand prospects for battery metals, despite the industry currently facing price declines due to oversupply. PLS CEO, Dale Henderson, said in an interview, "The long-term demand outlook is very, very good." He noted that the global demand for electric vehicles grew by 20% year-on-year in the second quarter, which he described as "quite impressive". Henderson mentioned that while the United States saw a decline in demand for electric vehicles due to policy adjustments, the growth in demand for battery energy storage systems and data centers offset this impact. The company, formerly known as Pilbara Minerals, completed a rebranding earlier this year. Investment bank Canaccord Genuity previously predicted that global lithium demand will exceed supply for the first time by 2027. The bank stated that changes in supply and demand dynamics due to project delays, production cuts, and growth in electric vehicle sales have led them to reconsider their outlook for the lithium market. In the first half of 2025, global electric vehicle sales increased by 30% compared to the previous year, reaching 9 million vehicles. Among them, the Chinese market saw the largest growth in sales, with a 32% increase year-on-year. The European Union also saw a 24% increase in sales due to stricter carbon emission regulations. The only exception was the United States, where electric vehicle sales remained flat due to clean energy policies.