Lithium/Nickel - Rechargeable Battery Materials

HOME What We Do Lithium/Nickel - Rechargeable Battery Materials

POSCO Holdings is fully equipped to provide critical rechargeable battery cathode ingredients, such as lithium and nickel, as well as the system to produce cathode active materials. Hence, we are well positioned to be a leading provider of eco-friendly future materials.

Brine/Ore Lithium

By having the foresight to acquire a salt lake in Argentina to build a brine lithium plant, we are growing our competitiveness in lithium.

Argentina Salt Lake
Operator POSCO Argentina (100% owned by POSCO Holdings)
Location Salta/Catamarca, Argentina
Hombre Muerto Salt Lake
Reserve 13,517K tons (LCE)
Brine Lithium Extraction Plant
Operator POSCO Argentina (100% owned by POSCO Holdings),
POSCO Lithium Solution (100% owned by POSCO Holdings)
Location Salta/Catamarca, Argentina
Hombre Muerto Salt Lake
Gwangyang Yulchon Industrial Complex
Annual Yield Lithium hydroxide 50K tons
(Phases 1 & 2: 25K tons each)
Australia Mine
Operator Pilbara Minerals (2.73% owned by POSCO Holdings)
Location Pilgan Mine in Pilgangoora, Western Australia
Annual Yield Spodumene off-take, 315,000 tons/year
Ore Lithium Plant
Operator POSCO Pilbara Lithium Solution (POSCO Holdings 82%, Pilbara 18%)
Location Gwangyang Yulchon Industrial Complex, Korea
Annual Yield Lithium hydroxide 43K tons

We are working on battery-grade nickel sulfate using ferronickel as well as nickel sulfate refinery in connection with our shares purchase of a hydrometallurgical processing company.

To stay ahead in the rapidly advancing used battery market, we have built upstream and downstream recycling processes in Korea and overseas.

Used Battery Recycling

In Poland, we opened PLSC, a plant that produces black powder from scrap and used batteries. In Gwangyang, Korea, we opened POSCO HY Clean Metal, a plant which extracts cathode materials, such as lithium, nickel and cobalt, from black powder supplied by PLSC. Additionally, a recycling JV has been set up with GS Energy to enhance our competitiveness in used battery collection.

We will keep our unrivaled edge in the lithium/nickel business by diversifying our supply sources, strengthening production technologies and establishing strategic partnerships.

Our Effort to Enhance Competitiveness Continues

In lithium, we will grow to be global top 3, buttressed by diverse resource base and tailored processes. In Nickel, our low-carbon technology, global production base and strategic partnership will drive our competitiveness.

2026 Lithium/Nickel Production Target

We will scale our annual production capacity to 96,000 tons of lithium and to 48,000 tons of nickel by 2026.

Raw Materials

Li Lithium 96,000 tons

Ni Nickel 48,000 tons

Battery Materials

+ Cathode
Materials
395,000 tons

- Anode
Materials
114,000 tons

Associated Group Companies

POSCO Future M

A global provider of materials, i.e., anode and cathode materials, for the chemical and energy industries to be applied to future mobility

POSCO MC Materials

Korea’s first manufacturer of premium needle coke

POSCO Pilbara Lithium Solution

A producer of lithium hydroxide, a key raw material for high-performance rechargeable battery cathode materials

POSCO HY Clean Metal

A company specializing in recycling of EV batteries

P&O Chemical

A manufacturer of advanced precision chemical materials, i.e., high-purity hydrogen peroxide

POSCO LITHIUM SOLUTION

A producer of high-purity lithium hydroxide for brine-based electric vehicle batteries

POSCO SILICON SOLUTION

A company specializing in Silicon cathode materials