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Posco Future M starts mass production of NCMA single-crystal cathodes

Published: 06 Dec. 2023, 18:43

SARAH CHEA
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Posco Future M's cathode production plant in Pohang, North Gyeongsang. [POSCO FUTURE M]

Posco Future M said Wednesday it has started mass production of single-crystal cathodes at its Pohang, North Gyeongsang, plant for supply to Ultium Cells, a Korea-U.S. battery joint venture.

The battery materials unit of steel maker Posco said it has started mass production of nickel-cobalt-manganese-aluminum (NCMA) single-crystal cathodes, used in high-performance electric vehicle batteries, at the plant.

Ultium Cells is a U.S. joint venture between General Motors and Korea's LG Energy Solution. It operates battery cell plants in Ohio, Tennessee and Michigan.

Batteries with single-crystal cathodes, created by combining various metals into a single particle shape, are known to have a longer lifespan and capacity compared to polycrystalline cathode counterparts.

Posco Future M has started producing single-crystal cathodes at a separate plant in Gwangyang, South Jeolla, since March after becoming the first company in the world to succeed in mass production of the material.

The company said it anticipates the production capacity of the Pohang plant, currently standing at 30,000 tons per year, to increase to 106,000 tons by 2026.

Yonhap