Author name: Cornelius Karow

Due to the current market situation, General Motors (GM) and POSCO Chemical have indefinitely suspended the second construction phase of the „Ultium CAM“ project in Canada.

IBU-tec advanced materials AG has expanded its partnership with PowerCo SE. As part of this, the two companies have agreed to a joint development agreement and a long-term supply contract for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathode material. The goal is to develop an industrial production process for LFP material in Europe together. According to IBU-tec, PowerCo will make payments upon reaching technical milestones, which could total a mid-double-digit million amount within three years. IBU-tec is also committing to significantly expanding its production capacity for battery materials. A new plant is set to be constructed in Bitterfeld, enabling a fivefold increase in capacity compared to the current level at the site. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2025 and be completed by 2028 at the latest. According to the company, financing has been secured through several building blocks. PowerCo has already secured the entire future production of the new plant for ten years contractually. In addition to the Bitterfeld expansion, IBU-tec plans to manufacture LFP cathode material for PowerCo at its Weimar site beginning in 2026. Production is expected to reach a capacity of around 3,000 tons per year by 2028. The production volume of the agreement is estimated to be in the mid-double digits for the first three years after production begins. Sources:https://www.ibu-tec.com/investor-relations/financial-news/news-article/ibu-tec-advanced-materials-ag-signs-contract-with-powerco-se-for-the-production-of-battery-materials-with-a-targeted-volume-in-the-mid-double-digit-million-euro-range/https://www.ibu-tec.com/investor-relations/financial-news/news-article/ibu-tec-advanced-materials-ag-schliesst-weitere-vertraege-mit-powerco-se-fuer-batteriematerial-mit-geplantem-jaehrlichem-volumen-im-mittleren-bis-oberen-zweistelligen-mio-euro-bereich/

Posco Future M, the battery materials division of South Korea’s Posco Group, announced that it has signed its largest anode material supply contract to date. The order amounts to 671 billion won (approximately $470 million). From October 2027 to September 2031, Posco Future M will supply an unnamed global automaker with anode materials made from natural graphite. An extension option until 2037 could increase the contract value to 1.7 trillion won. According to media reports, the company plans to produce the materials at its new plant in the Saemangeum industrial complex in North Jeolla Province. The plant is currently under construction and will process graphite from African countries. Currently, Posco Future M uses intermediate products from China for its production in Sejong, which it plans to replace entirely by 2027. While battery manufacturers have traditionally served as an intermediary between material producers and car manufacturers, an increasing number of automotive groups are establishing direct supply contracts with suppliers. Against the backdrop of U.S. tariffs, this is intended to secure the supply chain and reduce dependence on Chinese materials. Market research company SNE Research reports that over 80 percent of the anode materials delivered worldwide come from China. Meanwhile, Posco Future M ranks eleventh with a 1.3 percent market share. Source:https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10593344

Australian lithium producer Vulcan Energy signed a binding supply agreement with a Glencore subsidiary. Under the agreement, Vulcan will supply 36,000 to 44,000 tons of lithium hydroxide monohydrate from its Lionheart project on the German-French border. The eight-year contract covers approximately one-fifth of the company’s planned production during this period. This contract marks the final purchase agreement required for project financing of the first phase of the Lionheart project. Vulcan had previously signed supply agreements with Stellantis, Umicore, and LG Energy Solution. The total financing package for the first project phase is expected to be finalized in the fourth quarter of 2025. Construction of the project’s commercial facilities in Landau in the Palatinate and Frankfurt-Höchst is scheduled to follow. Vulcan plans to produce up to 24,000 tons of lithium hydroxide monohydrate annually at the two plants combined. According to the company, this amount is sufficient for approximately 500,000 electric vehicle batteries. Vulcan emphasizes that using deep geothermal energy supplies lithium and enables the generation of 275 gigawatt hours of electricity per year. Source:https://api.investi.com.au/api/announcements/vul/23a28720-a69.pdf