Ascend Elements, a U.S.-based lithium-ion battery materials company, has secured $320 million, including a 1.22 billion Polish Zloty grant from Poland’s Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, to build its first European precursor cathode active material (pCAM) manufacturing facility in Poland. The facility will utilize the company’s proprietary Hydro-to-Cathode® technology, which recovers nickel, manganese, and cobalt pCAM from spent lithium-ion batteries, aiming to establish a sustainable circular battery materials supply chain in Europe. The plant will be solely owned and operated by Ascend Elements and is part of the EU’s Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework (TCTF) to support the net-zero transition. The project is one of the largest U.S. investments in Poland and is expected to boost regional development, technology advancement, and collaboration with local institutions. Additionally, Ascend Elements operates one of North America’s largest battery recycling plants in Georgia, with a new lithium recovery line targeting 3,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate annually, and is also building a large-scale Hydro-to-Cathode® pCAM plant in Kentucky, expected to be operational by late 2026.

Green Li-ion has completed the construction of a state-of-the-art battery recycling facility in Oklahoma, USA, capable of converting black matter into battery-grade precursor cathode active material (pCAM) of up to 99 per cent purity. The technology can be seamlessly integrated into existing recycling infrastructures and is expected to improve the sustainability and profitability of the battery recycling market. SMM expects...

The monthly average price of PCAM (for NMC 523) lost 6.5% MoM to 86,000 yuan/mt in April. In April, the prices of nickel and cobalt continued to decline, and the demand did not see any significant improvement. The market sold off at lower prices, driving down prices of PCAM. It is expected that the prices of nickel and cobalt will still be slightly lowered in May, and thus the prices of precursors will continue to fall slightly.

SHANGHAI, Mar 9 (SMM) - Domestic PCAM (precursor of cathode active materials) output stood at 66,056 mt in February, up 13% MoM and 11% YoY.

SHANGHAI, Mar 9 (SMM) - Driven by recovering domestic and overseas demand, the domestic PCAM output is projected to rise 10% MoM and 14% YoY to 72,832 mt in March.

Prices of PCAM (for NMC 532) averaged 89,000 yuan/mt in February.

In April, overseas demand weakened, and the output of the 8-series precursor gradually declined, with the proportion in total PCAM output falling slightly.

[Xiamen Tungsten New Energy's 40,000-ton Major Project Launched] Xiamen Tungsten New Energy announced on August 2 that the company's board of directors had reviewed and approved the investment plan for a 40,000-ton cathode material precursor project in France the previous day. Europe Xiamen Tungsten plans to jointly establish France Xiamen Tungsten New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. with Orano PCAM in France, with Orano PCAM holding a 51% stake and Europe Xiamen Tungsten New Energy holding a 49% stake. Both parties will take the joint venture as the main entity to build a 40,000-ton cathode material precursor project in Dunkirk, Hauts-de-France, France. The total investment for the project construction is estimated to be RMB 3.15 billion (tax included) (the final investment amount will be subject to actual investment).

[Xiamen Tungsten New Energy's 40,000-ton Cathode Material Project Lands] Xiamen Tungsten New Energy announced on August 2 that the company's board of directors reviewed and approved the investment plan for a 40,000-ton cathode material precursor project in France with an annual output the day before. Xiamen Tungsten Europe plans to jointly establish Xiamen Tungsten New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (France) with Orano PCAM in France, with Orano PCAM holding a 51% stake and Xiamen Tungsten New Energy Europe holding a 49% stake. The two parties will take the joint venture as the main entity to build a 40,000-ton cathode material precursor project with an annual output in Dunkirk, Hauts-de-France, France. The total investment for the project construction is proposed to be 3.15 billion yuan (including tax).

In the week ending March 14, Series 5, 6, and 8 precursor prices rose slightly due to increasing raw material costs. Precursor firms raised their prices, but difficulty in passing on these increases kept transaction prices stable. Suppliers, affected by high nickel sulphate prices, are cautious with accepting orders and are aligning production with sales. Demand is supported by optimism in the nickel sulphate market and encouraging March vehicle sales, leading to active inquiries. However, downstream buyers are resistant to costly precursors, limiting the potential for substantial price increases in ternary precursors.