Battery 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.

South Korean battery material manufacturer L&F has revised the value of a supply contract with Tesla announced in 2023 from nearly three billion to just 7,386 US dollars.