Summary：Samsung SDI is working with EcoPro BM to develop NCA cathode materials with a nickel content of 92% to develop next-generation power batteries with higher energy density and further reduce manufacturing costs.

Foreign media reported that Samsung SDI is working with EcoPro BM to jointly develop NCA cathode materials with a nickel content of 92% to develop next-generation power batteries with higher energy density and further reduce manufacturing costs.

At present, the most commonly used high-nickel materials for electric vehicles are mainly the NCM811 system. There are only a few companies that can mass produce NCA materials, and NCA materials are mainly used in other fields besides electric vehicles.

At present, Samsung SDI ternary battery is mainly based on the NCM622 system. This time, it plans to develop NCA cathode materials with a nickel content of more than 90%. The main purpose is to further improve its battery performance and reduce costs, thereby enhancing its market competitiveness.

In order to ensure the stable supply of the high-nickel NCA material, in February last year, Samsung SDI and ECOPRO BM signed an agreement to establish a joint venture cathode material factory to produce next-generation cathode materials in Pohang City.

The plant is expected to produce 31,000 tons of NCA cathode materials per year. Samsung SDI and EcoPro BM plan to increase the plant’s production capacity by 2.5 times in the next five years. The cathode materials produced will mainly be supplied to Samsung SDI.

In addition, Samsung SDI also signed supply contracts with Glencore and Australian lithium mining company Pure Minerals to provide nickel materials for their cathode material construction projects.

Samsung SDI plans to reduce costs and achieve self-sufficiency through self-produced cathodes, thereby reducing its dependence on external material procurement. The goal is to increase its self-supplied cathode materials from the current 20% to 50% by 2030.

Previously, Samsung SDI announced that it would use a stacking process to produce its high-nickel NCA prismatic batteries, also known as the next-generation batteries, Gen5 batteries. It plans to achieve mass production and supply in the second half of the year.

The energy density of the battery will be more than 20% higher than that of the current mass-produced battery, and the battery cost per kilowatt-hour will be reduced by about 20% or more. The driving distance of an electric car using Gen5 battery can reach 600km, which means Gen5 The energy density of the battery is at least 600Wh/L.

To further enhance the competitiveness of its Hungarian battery plant, Samsung SDI announced that it will invest 942 billion won (approximately RMB 5.5 billion) in its Hungarian battery plant to expand battery production capacity and increase battery supply to European customers such as BMW and Volkswagen. .

Samsung SDI plans to invest 1.2 trillion won (approximately RMB 6.98 billion) to increase the monthly production capacity of the Hungarian factory to 18 million batteries by 2030. The plant is currently in the second phase of expansion.

After the expansion is completed, the capacity of the Hungary battery plant will reach 20GWh, which is close to the total battery output of Samsung SDI last year. In addition, Samsung SDI also plans to establish a second power battery factory in Hungary, but has not yet clarified a timetable.

It is worth noting that in addition to Samsung SDI, LG Energy and SKI are also accelerating the mass production of high-nickel batteries with a nickel content of more than 90%.

LG Energy announced that it will supply GM with 90% nickel content NCMA (Nickel Cobalt Manganese Aluminum) batteries from 2021; SKI also announced that it will start mass production of NCM 9/0.5/0.5 batteries in 2021.