VINACHEM

Wildcat Discovery Technologies is in "final site negotiations" to build a 15,000 mt/year cathode production plant in the US at a yet-to-be disclosed location by 2026 as it looks to enter the US' battery supply chain with products that do not contain nickel or cobalt, the company said Dec. 11.

Wildcat plans to produce cathodes based on lithium-phosphate chemistries rather than the nickel and cobalt-intensive chemistries that have typically been more common in the US, according to a statement.

Battery chemistries such as lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP) have increasingly gained attention in North America and Europe due to their stability and cost effectiveness. By removing cobalt and nickel from the cathode, its production is also less impacted by any potential cost or supply volatilities that could occur in the markets for either of the two metals.

Currently, LFP battery production is dominated by China.

"Demand is increasing significantly for nickel-free cathode materials that are produced in North America," Wildcat said. "The cathode accounts for about 50% of the cost of a battery cell, but more than 95% of the global LFP supply today is from China. Wildcat's deep expertise in battery development is a distinct advantage for scaling cathode materials in the market."

Wildcat said it expects its proposed plant to supply LFP cathodes by late 2026, LMFP cathodes in 2027 and disordered rock salt (DRX) cathodes in 2028. The plant could have the potential to eventually expand capacity to 30,000 mt/year, it added.

The San Diego-based Wildcat is a battery materials research and engineering firm. It is currently producing LFP samples for customers.

"After 15 years of battery materials research, our new purpose is to produce high-performance US-made cathodes to enable widespread adoption of clean energy," CEO Mark Gresser said. "This is a breakthrough opportunity for us to capitalize on the growing need for US-made cathodes for electric vehicles, grid storage and other purposes."

LFP battery material production could benefit now that lithium prices have plunged and settled in a more predictable range after skyrocketing in 2021 and 2022.

Platts assessed battery-grade lithium carbonate at $18,000/mt Dec. 6 on a CIF North Asia basis, according to S&P Global Commodity Insights data. The assessment began the year at $75,000/mt, but it is forecast to average at only about $19,500/mt in 2024, according to S&P Global's most recent report released Nov. 27.  – Platts –