The transition to high-nickel "811" battery cathode chemistries will encourage adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), ultimately to the benefit of cobalt demand, according to panelists speaking at Fastmarkets' Battery Materials Conference in Amsterdam on Thursday September 26.
Nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) 811 battery cathodes contain eight parts nickel for every one part of cobalt and manganese, compared with 111, 532 and 622 battery chemistries that have previously been used in EVs. The shift to nickel-rich chemistries is favored because it provides greater energy density, and therefore, higher driving ranges for EVs, however the transition has often been considered bearish for cobalt demand. "The biggest risk we see is the shift to lowering cobalt content in any kind of battery," Michael Insulan, senior market analyst at Eurasian Resources Group, told delegates at the conference. The impetus to shift to 811 battery chemistries gained momentum...