Battery Material

Samsung SDI has signed a supply agreement with the South Korean materials manufacturer L&F. The three-year agreement, beginning next year, is for the procurement of cathode materials for lithium iron phosphate batteries. According to Samsung SDI, the contract is valued at approximately 1.6 trillion KRW (about 1.07 billion USD). The agreement includes an option to extend it for an additional three years. The materials are intended for use in energy storage systems. Production will take place in the U.S. state of Indiana, where Samsung SDI operates the StarPlus Energy joint venture with Stellantis. There, existing production lines are being partially converted from electric vehicle batteries to energy storage system (ESS) applications. Mass production of LFP and NCA batteries is planned to start in the fourth quarter of this year. Focus on Supply Chain Diversity This agreement is part of a strategic realignment of supply chains. Historically, the battery industry has been heavily dependent on Chinese suppliers for LFP cathode material. Meanwhile, the U.S. is tightening regulatory requirements for products with ties to China, including regulations targeting so-called “prohibited foreign entities.” According to Samsung SDI’s own statements, the company aims to reduce these dependencies. Its collaboration with a domestic partner is presented as a step toward stabilizing the supply of materials. In August of last year, L&F announced investments in LFP cathode production and is currently increasing capacity to 60,000 tons per year. Meanwhile, Samsung SDI is expanding its activities in the North American energy storage market. At the end of last year, Samsung SDI signed a supply contract worth approximately 2 trillion KRW with a U.S. energy company. In mid-March, this was followed by another order worth around 1.5 trillion KRW. Source:https://www.samsungsdi.com/sdi-now/sdi-news/4822.html?pageIndex=1&pagesize=15&idx=4822

South Korean battery material manufacturer POSCO Future M plans to build a 243-million-dollar production facility in Vietnam for synthetic graphite as anode material.

French mining group Imerys has put its lithium project in the United Kingdom on hold in favor of a more advanced project in France.

The international mining group Rio Tinto acquired a majority stake in Nemaska Lithium in the Canadian province of Quebec. Following capital investments since March 2025, Rio Tinto now holds 53.9 percent of the shares. The government of Quebec holds the remaining 46.1 percent through its investment company, Investissement Québec. With its majority stake, Rio Tinto will take over direct operational management. Rio Tinto intends to implement its own processes and standards in the areas of development, operations, and sales. The goal is to establish an integrated lithium business in Quebec. This majority takeover follows Rio Tinto’s acquisition of Arcadium in March 2025, through which it initially acquired 50 percent of Nemaska Lithium. Nemaska Lithium operates a lithium hydroxide plant in Bécancour and a spodumene mine in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay region. By the end of 2025, 60 percent of the construction work at the Bécancour site was complete. According to Rio Tinto, the engineering work is finished. The plant is scheduled to begin operating in 2026. Initial production is expected in 2028. Rio Tinto is currently evaluating the future supply of spodumene for the plant. For this purpose, the Whabouchi mine and the company’s own Galaxy mine are being examined. The review is expected to be finished by the end of the first half of 2026. The Quebec government plans to invest up to US$200 million in the project. In turn, Rio Tinto plans to invest over US$300 million to expand its lithium business in Quebec in 2026. Source:https://www.riotinto.com/en/news/releases/2026/rio-tinto-assumes-majority-interest-and-management-responsibilities-at-nemaska-lithium

The US chemical company Albemarle has announced that it will temporarily close its lithium hydroxide plant in Kemerton, Western Australia. The remaining Train 1 production line will be transferred to “care and maintenance” status immediately. The company previously shut down the Train 2 production line in 2024 and halted expansion plans for lines 3 and 4. The Kemerton plant processes spodumene sourced from the Greenbushes mine. Albemarle holds a stake in the Greenbushes project through an Australian joint venture and half of the off-take rights. Albemarle cites ongoing market volatility and cost pressures as the reasons for the plant’s suspension. The company notes that recent price increases for lithium are insufficient to offset the economic challenges of hard rock processing in the West. This measure is intended to increase the company’s financial flexibility. However, the forecast sales volumes for 2026 remain unchanged. Albemarle plans to meet the demand for lithium hydroxide through other production sites. According to the announcement, mining activities in Australia will also remain unchanged. These include interests in the Greenbushes and Wodgina mines, as well as exploration projects in Western Australia. Source:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/albemarle-announces-plans-to-idle-its-kemerton-lithium-hydroxide-processing-plant-302685521.html

South Korean battery material manufacturer POSCO Future M is investing in the Massachusetts-based start-up company Factorial which specializes in solid-state batteries (SSB).

Portuguese company Lifthium Energy will be receiving 180 million euros in government funding to build a refinery for the production of battery-grade lithium.

Chinese battery manufacturer CATL is to be supplied with three million tons of LFP cathode material by Ronbay between 2026 and 2031. Meanwhile, the record contract value caused a stir.

US-based Cabot Corporation will supply Volkswagenʼs battery subsidiary PowerCo with conductive carbon products and dispersions for lithium-ion battery electrodes.

Battery material manufacturer POSCO Future M has entered into a joint venture with Chinaʼs CNGR and its South Korean subsidiary FINO for the production of LFP cathode materials.