The initial public offering (IPO) of shares in the newly created Livent Lithium will help the fledgling company to face the challenges of meeting global demand for lithium and to solidify its position as a major supplier to the fast-growing battery industry, according to chief executive officer Paul Graves.
The acquisition by Livent's parent company, FMC, of chemicals giant DuPont set the course for FMC to become one of the largest agricultural solutions companies in the world, and thus also paved the way for the company's lithium division to grow as an independent company, Graves has told Fastmarkets."We have been supplying lithium hydroxide to the battery industry for more than 30 years and have done so with stable supplies of high-quality material, which means that our customers can rely on us," he said."The IPO will allow us to work as an independent company, facilitating investments, and to make decisions independently, without the tensions that [can develop between] different segments of a company that is focused on diverse businesses," he added.Livent has a history as a supplier of lithium hydroxide to the battery industry since 1986, from operations in the US state of North Carolina as part of FMC. Now...