Battery Raw-Material Payable Calculator

Compute payable USD per tonne for four core battery precursors: cobalt hydroxide Co(OH)₃, nickel sulfate NiSO₄·6H₂O, mixed hydroxide precipitate MHP, and spodumene concentrate SC6. Formulas mirror standard offtake terms priced against Fastmarkets, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, LME, and Platts assessments. Companion reference: /pricing-formulas/.

Cobalt hydroxide Co(OH)₃ inputs

Payable USD/mt = %Co × MB Co Std × Payable% × 22.0462
(LB conversion: 1 mt = 2,204.62 lb; MB Co price in USD/lb)

Cobalt grade %Co Typical DRC hydroxide 30–35%; Fastmarkets standard basis 30%

MB standard-grade cobalt price (USD/lb) Fastmarkets MB Free Market low-high midpoint

Payable % of MB price Typical 65–75% for standard-quality material CIF China

Refining charge USD/lb Co (optional) Some offtake structures deduct RC; leave 0 if all-in payable

Source: Fastmarkets methodology — cobalt hydroxide payable indicator MB-CO-0021; Benchmark Mineral Intelligence cobalt price assessments.

Result

Contained cobalt—

MB benchmark USD/mt Co—

Gross payable per mt product—

Less refining charge—

Net payable USD/mt CIF—

Sensitivity

Break-even payable % if RC>0—

Nickel sulfate NiSO₄·6H₂O inputs

Payable USD/mt = (LME Ni ÷ 1000 × %Ni × 10) + Battery Premium
(Battery-grade NiSO₄ contains ~22.3% Ni; commonly traded on Ni-contained basis)

Ni content basis % Battery-grade crystal NiSO₄·6H₂O = 22.3% Ni; solution basis varies 8–12%

LME Nickel cash settlement (USD/mt) 3-month or cash contract used per offtake reference; Class-1 basis

Battery premium (USD/mt Ni contained) Fastmarkets MB-NI-0245 China domestic battery premium over LME

Deduction (RC or logistics, USD/mt Ni) Optional; leave 0 if premium is all-in delivered

Source: LME Nickel contract; Fastmarkets MB-NI-0245; SMM domestic China assessments.

Result

Ni contained per mt product—

LME Ni component—

Battery premium component—

Less deductions—

Delivered USD/mt product—

Cross-check

Implied USD/mt Ni contained—

Mixed Hydroxide Precipitate (MHP) inputs

Payable USD/mt = (LME Ni × %Ni × Payable_Ni)
+ (MB Co × %Co × Payable_Co × 22.0462)
− TC
(MHP standard grade 36–42% Ni + 3–5% Co, CIF China)

Nickel content %Ni Typical Indonesian HPAL MHP 36–42%

Cobalt content %Co Co credit ratio typically Co:Ni ≈ 1:10 in HPAL feedstock

LME Nickel (USD/mt)

MB Cobalt Std (USD/lb)

Ni payable % Typical 65–75% for MHP into China precursors

Co payable % Typical 55–65% for MHP contained cobalt

Treatment charge (USD/mt product) Some offtakes deduct TC in addition to payable %; leave 0 for pure payable

Source: Fastmarkets MB-NI-0247 MHP payable; Benchmark Mineral Intelligence; typical Indonesian offtake terms.

Result

Ni contained value—

Co contained value—

Less TC—

Net payable USD/mt CIF—

Value split

Ni share of gross—

Co share of gross—

Spodumene concentrate SC6 inputs

Adjusted CIF China = Base_SC6_price × (%Li₂O ÷ 6.0)
(Fastmarkets/Platts SC6 is basis 6.0% Li₂O; pro-rata scaling for higher/lower grades)

Base SC6 6.0% price (USD/mt CIF China) Fastmarkets MB-LI-0036 or Platts CIF China 6.0% assessment

Concentrate grade %Li₂O Typical range 5.0–6.5%; premium grades reach 7.0%

Payable / discount % (optional) Some offtakes apply 95–100% payable on adjusted price; below 5.5% grade may include discount

Impurity penalty USD/mt (Fe₂O₃, Mica, F) Optional deduction if concentrate exceeds spec on Fe or mica; leave 0

Shipping / logistics deduction (USD/mt) Optional; use if quoting FOB Port Hedland vs CIF China

Source: Fastmarkets MB-LI-0036 spodumene SC6 CIF China; S&P Platts lithium assessments; Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.

Result

Grade adjustment factor—

Adjusted CIF price—

After payable %—

Less penalties + logistics—

Net USD/mt—

Sensitivity

Value per %Li₂O point—

Related pages: Pricing Formulas — Battery Payables Pricing Regimes (regulatory) Cobalt deep-dive Nickel deep-dive Lithium deep-dive Glossary: MHP Glossary: Class-1 nickel All calculators

Indicative reference only. Actual offtake terms vary by counterparty, grade, tenor and quotational period. Verify Payable %, TC/RC and premium components against the current Fastmarkets, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, LME rulebook and Platts methodology bulletins. TSM is not a licensed benchmark administrator and this calculator is not a benchmark, price feed or investment advice.

Battery Raw-Material Payable Calculator

Cobalt hydroxide Co(OH)3 inputs

Result

Sensitivity

Nickel sulfate NiSO4·6H2O inputs

Result

Cross-check

Mixed Hydroxide Precipitate (MHP) inputs

Result

Value split

Spodumene concentrate SC6 inputs

Result

Sensitivity

Cobalt hydroxide Co(OH)₃ inputs

Nickel sulfate NiSO₄·6H₂O inputs