Umicore and Samsung SDI have agreed a multi-year deal whereby the former will supply the South Korean battery-manufacturer with almost 80,000 tonnes of nickel-cobalt-manganese [NCM] cathode materials, starting in 2020.
The deal will feed Samsung SDI's lithium-ion battery production in Europe and Asia, itself feeding into automotive applications. "The sizeable volume commitment included in the agreement offers critical predictability and visibility along the [electric vehicle] supply chain, which allows EV manufacturers and their suppliers to plan and develop the needed capacities," Belgium-based Umicore said in a statement. "[This agreement] underscores that a sustainable battery value chain...