Main content:
Competitive landscape of global lithium battery ternary materials
Power ternary lithium battery with ternary materials as cathode materials have gradually occupied an increasingly important position in the power battery industry in recent years due to their important advantages such as high capacity, good cycle stability, and moderate cost. Benefiting from the rapid development of the global new energy industry, the demand side of the power battery market will usher in a strong recovery in 2021, driving the rapid release of production capacity of ternary materials companies.
According to statistics, the total output of ternary materials worldwide in 2021 will be 729,700 tons, a year-on-year increase of 79.3%. Globally, the competitive landscape of ternary materials still maintains a state of juxtaposition. In 2021, due to factors such as the COVID-19 epidemic, the mismatch between supply and demand in the industrial chain, and national policies, the impact on Chinese and other companies will be different. In the competition, Chinese companies have become the main force driving the growth of the global ternary material market, with a total supply of 54.6%.
Recently, the latest ranking of Top 10 lithium battery ternary material companies in the world has been announced. This article will provide you with comprehensive information about global Top 10 lithium battery ternary material companies, including their development history, main business and industrial layout. It aims to help you gain a deeper understanding of the competitive landscape of the ternary cathode material industry and the latest developments of leading companies in the industry through the analysis of various aspects.
Top 10 lithium battery ternary material companies in the world in 2022
① RONBAY
|
Established date |
September 18, 2014 |
|
Company location |
Zhejiang, China |
|
Total market value |
57.349 billion RMB |
|
Company website |
Company profile:
RONBAY, which ranks first among the top 10 lithium battery ternary materials companies in the world, is a multinational group company in the high-tech new energy material industry, specializing in the research and development, production and sales of lithium battery cathode materials.
The company has established long-term cooperative relations with customers such as CATL, BYD, LG Chem, LISHEN, FARASIS, etc., and provides ternary cathode materials with stable product performance and mature preparation technology for the cutting-edge high-energy density products of these global mainstream power battery manufacturers. The company is the first cathode material manufacturer in China to achieve mass production of NCM811.
Main products:
NCM523 series, NCM622 series, NCM811 series lithium ion battery cathode materials.
Recent layout:
In April 2022, WELION signed a "Strategic Cooperation Agreement" with the high-nickel leader RONBAY, and Rongbai Technology became its first supplier of high-nickel ternary cathode materials; from 2022 to 2025, WELION will purchase solid-state lithium battery cathode materials from RONBAY, less than 30,000 tons.
② EcoPro
|
Founded time |
1998 |
|
Company location |
Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea |
|
Total market value |
1.73 trillion KRW |
|
Company website |
Company profile:
As one of the Top 10 lithium battery ternary material companies in the world in 2022, Ecopro is the world's leading producer of high-nickel cathode materials. Since its establishment, it has been focusing on the development of environmentally friendly core materials and components related to air pollution control . Ecopro mainly produces high-nickel ternary power battery materials, and has built a complete industrial chain from waste batteries and remanufacturing of waste nickel-cobalt resources to lithium-ion battery raw materials and high-nickel ternary materials.
Main products and battery material business:
NCA Series-Ni-RICH, LIB cathode material;CSG(advanced NCM).
Recent layout:
On March 28, 2022, ECOPRO and GEM signed an online contract. GEM transferred a 9% stake in Indonesia's Qingmeibang Nickel Resources Project to ECOPRO. ECOPRO will purchase 700,000 tons of high-nickel ternary precursor materials from GEM within four years to jointly build a high-nickel cathode material industry chain.
③ BASF
|
Established date |
April 6, 1865 |
|
Global headquarters |
Ludwigshafen, Germany |
|
Total market value |
39.994 billion USD |
|
Company website |
Company profile:
As the world's leading lithium-ion battery material supplier and one of the global Top 10 lithium battery ternary material companies, BASF is committed to contributing to the building of a sustainable battery material value chain. Its business scope includes research and development of new materials and related technologies, research and development, production and sales of lithium-ion battery materials.
Main products:
Lithium cobalt oxide and ternary materials: polycrystalline and single crystal high-nickel and ultra-high nickel-nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) oxides, and manganese-rich (Mn-rich) nickel-cobalt-manganese products.
Recnet layout:
Recently, Shanshan Energy, a joint venture controlled by BASF, is expanding its battery material production capacity in Changsha, Hunan, and Shizuishan, Ningxia, to meet the fast-growing EV market demand locally and globally. The expansion project will increase the annual production capacity of Shanshan Energy's CAM to 100,000 tons. Shanshan Energy's main products are lithium cobalt oxide and ternary materials.
Lithium cobalt oxide is used to manufacture lithium batteries for consumer electronics, and ternary materials are mainly used to manufacture new energy vehicle batteries. Shanshan Energy's new production line is designed to be highly flexible and can be used to manufacture an advanced portfolio of cathode active materials, including polycrystalline and single crystal high-nickel and ultra-high nickel-nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) oxides, and manganese-rich (Mn-rich) nickel-cobalt-manganese products.
④ Sumitomo
|
Founded time |
December 1919 |
|
Global headquarters |
Tokyo, Japan |
|
Total market value |
2.32 trillion JPY |
|
Company website |
Company profile:
Sumitomo is the cathode material supplier for the power batteries of two of the Top 10 power battery companies - Tesla and Panasonic. It was originally a copper smelter and Japan's largest nickel smelter. At present, Sumitomo's business is mainly divided into three parts, one is mining resources, the other is smelting business, and the third is the manufacturing and sales of battery materials. In the past four years, Sumitomo has spent 37 billion JPY (about 2.269 billion RMB) to increase the production of nickel-cobalt-aluminum (NCA), mainly for Toyota and Panasonic as cathode materials.
Main products and services:
Lithium iron phosphate (LFP), lithium nickelate and other lithium ion rechargeable battery cathode materials.
Recent news and related layout:
Recently, Sumitomo is actively looking to build factories in the United States. It was only produced in Japan before, but considering the goal of tripling production by 2030, the company is considering putting some production capacity in other countries. In February 2022, SMM said it would triple its capital expenditure over the next three years to increase its capacity for nickel and cathode materials for lithium batteries. It hopes to maintain its lead in the nickel-based cathode material market by expanding production capacity.
⑤ LG Chem
|
Founded time |
January 1947 |
|
Global headquarters |
Seoul, South Korea |
|
Total market capitalization |
4.065 billion USD |
|
Company website |
Company profile:
LG Chem is an energy solution provider centered on the battery business, with a number of next-generation growth engines with huge development potential, including battery materials, sustainable materials, and biology. Its goal is to become the world's No. 1 comprehensive battery material company, cultivating a diversified product portfolio ranging from cathode materials to separators, anode adhesives, thermally conductive adhesives, and carbon nanotubes (CNTs).
Main products and grades:
Lithium battery cathode materials: NCM111, NCM424, NCM523, NCM622 and NCM712.
Recent layout:
Recently, LG Chem and Korea Zinc subsidiary KEMCO reportedly announced the formation of a precursor joint venture to strengthen their battery materials value chain. The precursor is the raw material of the cathode, which is composed of nickel, cobalt, manganese and aluminum, NCMA and other metals. Construction of the joint venture plant will begin in July this year and mass production will begin in the second quarter of 2024. By 2024, the joint venture will invest more than 200 billion won to build an exclusive production line to produce 20,000 tons of NCMA battery precursors containing nickel, cobalt, manganese and aluminum per year. The joint venture will not only produce precursors using metals supplied by KEMCO, but will also use recycled metals extracted from used scrap and spent batteries.
⑥ B&M
|
Established time |
August 15, 2002 |
|
Company location |
Tianjing, China |
|
Registered capital |
207.319289 million RMB |
|
Company website |
Company profile:
B&M is mainly engaged in the research, development and large-scale production of high-tech green battery materials. The company's main products include cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries. B&M is not only China's only supplier of cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries to four of the world's top seven lithium-ion battery manufacturers, but also one of the world's Top 10 lithium battery ternary material companies.
Main products and services:
Cathode materials for lithium ion batteries, etc.
Latest news and related layout:
B&M is one of the leading companies of cathode materials in China, and it has obvious advantages in the field of high nickel materials among the Top 10 lithium battery ternary material companies. According to the data, in the first quarter of 2021, B&M's ternary cathode material shipments ranked first in China, with a market share of 13%. In addition, the company has invested in the Australian listed company AVZ to deploy the Manono lithium mine in Congo (DRC), and continued to inspect and expand the resource layout.
⑦ EASPRING
|
Established time |
June 3, 1998 |
|
Company location |
Beijing, China |
|
Total market value |
45.676 billion RMB |
|
Company website |
Company profile:
EASPRING is a leading company in China's lithium battery cathode material industry, and has a place in Top 10 lithium battery ternary material companies in the world. It has now developed into one of the most influential companies in the field of lithium battery cathode materials and intelligent equipment integrating independent innovation, achievement transformation and industrial operation.
Main products and services:
Lithium battery cathode material: multi-material & lithium cobalt oxide material.
Recent news and related layout:
On April 24, 2022, EASPRING announced that it signed a "Strategic Cooperation Agreement (2022-2028)" with LISHEN, in the supply of lithium battery cathode materials, new product development and cutting-edge technology cooperation, lithium ion battery resource recovery, upstream resources Establish an all-round and multi-level strategic partnership in development and global production capacity layout. During the validity period of the agreement, LISHEN promises to purchase a total amount of not less than 100,000 tons of lithium battery cathode materials.
According to the agreement, LISHEN will give priority to EAPRING's products for the development of power batteries for new models and new battery projects for other fields. The fields of R&D cooperation include ultra-high nickel cathode materials, lithium iron manganese phosphate cathode materials, high-capacity lithium-rich manganese-based cathode materials, solid-state lithium-ion batteries and their key materials, sodium-ion batteries and their key materials, etc.
⑧ NICHIA
|
Established time |
December 1956 |
|
Global headquarters |
Tokushima, Japan |
|
Total market value |
13.353 billion JPY |
|
Company website |
Company profile:
NICHIA has been developing and manufacturing cathode materials for Lithium-ion batteries, based on its core technologies in powder synthesis Nichia has built up during its many years as a leading phosphor company.
Lithium-ion battery cathode materials produced by NICHIA are widely used in secondary batteries for consumer products such as smartphones, notebook computers, and power tools including lawn mowers. NICHIA plans to expand its business and become the world's leading manufacturer of cathode materials.
Main products and services:
Cathode materials: lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2), lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC, LiNixCoyMnzO2), lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide (LiNixCoyAlzO2) and lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4); Lithium-ion batteries: prismatic batteries, pouch batteries, cylindrical batteries and large-sized batteries.
⑨ CHANGRMB LICO
|
Established time |
June 18, 2002 |
|
Company location |
Hunan, China |
|
Total market value |
35.825 billion RMB |
|
Company website |
Company profile:
CHANGRMB LICO focuses on the research and production of high-efficiency battery materials. The main products include multi-material precursors, multi-component cathode materials, lithium cobalt oxide and other lithium battery cathode materials and nickel-metal hydride battery cathode materials. CHANGRMB LICO has a complete product system of lithium battery multi-material precursors and lithium battery multi-component cathode materials, and has always maintained an industry-leading market share in power ternary materials, and is now ranked among the Top 10 lithium battery ternary material companies in the world.
Main products and services:
Multi-material precursors, multi-element cathode materials, lithium cobalt oxide and other lithium battery cathode materials and nickel-metal hydride battery cathode materials.
Latest news and related layout:
In May 2022, CHANGRMB LICO issued 3.25 billion convertible bonds to invest in new ternary cathode material production capacity of 40,000 tons and lithium iron phosphate cathode material capacity of 60,000 tons (located in Changsha, Hunan). Among them, lithium iron phosphate is a new entry field, and it is mainly optimistic about the future energy storage market.
At the end of December 2021, CHANGRMB LICO announced that it will be located in Changsha High-tech Development Zone. The total investment of the project is about 2.087 billion. Once the production line is formed, it will form an annual production capacity of 60,000 tons of lithium iron phosphate. According to the plan, the project is expected to start construction in January 2022 and be put into operation in April 2023, with a total project cycle of about 16 months.
⑩ ZHENHUA E-CHEM
|
Established time |
April 26, 2004 |
|
Company location |
Guizhou, China |
|
Total market value |
32.644 billion RMB |
|
Company website |
Company profile:
ZHENHUA E-CHEM has been focusing on the R&D, production and sales of lithium-ion battery cathode materials since its establishment, mainly providing lithium-ion battery cathode materials for new energy vehicles and 3C consumer electronics. Among them, the cathode materials used in the field of new energy vehicles, covering various types of primary particle large single crystal nickel cobalt lithium manganate ternary cathode materials (NCM) including medium nickel, medium high nickel and high nickel, are the company's core competitive products.
Cathode materials for consumer electronics mainly include high-voltage lithium cobalt oxide, composite ternary cathode materials and primary particle large single crystal ternary cathode materials. ZHENHUA E-CHEM completed the research and development and production of primary particle large single crystal materials for nickel cobalt lithium manganate ternary cathode materials earlier in the world in 2009.
Main products and services:
Lithium cobalt oxide, composite ternary, nickel-cobalt-manganese ternary, nickel-manganese binary.
Latest news and related layout:
On June 13, 2022, ZHENHUA E-CHEM announced that it plans to issue shares to no more than 35 (including 35) specific objects, raise no more than 6 billion RMB, and invest in the cathode material production line construction project (Yilong Phase III) and Supplementary liquidity. It is understood that the total investment of the project is 6.245 billion RMB. After completion, it will increase the production capacity of 100,000 tons of cathode materials per year. It is mainly used for the production of high-nickel, medium-high nickel and medium-nickel ternary cathode materials, and is compatible with the production of cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries.
Under the guidance of national policies, the new energy industry still has a huge space for development. Although the competition in the ternary material market is still fierce after years of reshuffle and development, the leading position of companies with advantages in technology, scale and customer structure in the next two years will be more and more obvious. On the whole, whether it is technology upgrade or capacity expansion, the main force in the ternary material market in 2022 will still be dominated by existing leading companies, and the global output is expected to reach 982,700 tons.
Related article: Top 10 lithium battery separator companies