Johnson Matthey announces strategic partnership for sustainable battery materials production and secures critical raw materials supply
PR89048
LONDON, April 18, 2021, /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/--
- JM takes a further major step to create a leading, sustainable electric
vehicle ecosystem
- Setting a new standard in sustainability with second plant to be powered by
renewable energy, using responsibly sourced nickel, cobalt and lithium raw
materials, and employing an innovative effluent treatment solution
- Strategic partnership with Finnish Minerals Group to locate second commercial
plant for eLNO cathode materials, with nameplate capacity of 30kT, in Finland
- Finnish Minerals Group to invest to develop integrated supply of critical raw
materials and effluent treatment solution for JM plant
- Long-term sustainable supply of critical raw materials for Europe
- Nornickel for supply of nickel and cobalt, and SQM for supply of lithium
hydroxide
Johnson Matthey (JM), a global leader in sustainable technologies, today
announces significant strategic developments in the commercialisation of eLNO –
its portfolio of leading nickel rich advanced cathode materials – which put JM
at the forefront of providing a sustainable and secure supply of cathode
materials for customers, in line with our vision for a cleaner, healthier world.
1. Partnership with Finnish Minerals Group to support development of our
previously announced second commercial plant, which will be in Finland, powered
solely by renewable energy and incorporating an innovative effluent treatment
solution
2. Long term sustainable supply of critical raw materials for battery materials
production secured, creating an efficient battery electric vehicle supply chain
– we have signed a term sheet for the supply of nickel and cobalt from
Nornickel, and an agreement for the supply of lithium hydroxide from SQM
These important developments further strengthen our position in the value
chain, setting a new standard of sustainability in the production of high
performance cathode materials that enable greater adoption of long range, pure
battery electric vehicles. Working together with these partners and building on
our 45 years' experience in serving the automotive industry, we can deliver for
our customers as they expand into the fast-growing battery electric vehicle
market and ultimately give consumers confidence in both the performance and
sustainability of their car.
Finland selected as location for second plant and partnership with Finnish
Minerals Group
In scaling up our battery materials business, we have begun the front-end
engineering design for our second commercial plant which we announce today will
be located in Vaasa, on the west coast of Finland – a region that aims to
create an ecosystem of sustainable technologies. Finland has a favourable
battery materials ecosystem, offering reliable access to renewable energy,
sustainable raw materials and proximity to major European automotive OEM and
cell manufacturers.
As we invest to support our commercialisation, we have entered into a
partnership with Finnish Minerals Group as it looks to further develop the
Finnish batteries ecosystem. Finnish Mineral Group manages the Finnish state's
mining industry shareholdings and aims to create an integrated electric vehicle
battery value chain in Finland.
As part of our partnership, Finnish Minerals Group will invest in two key
areas. Firstly to co-develop with JM an integrated solution to treat sodium
sulphate, a common manufacturing by-product, providing a sustainable supply
chain to conserve natural resources and protect the local environment.
Secondly, Finnish Minerals Group will invest in pre-treatment technology of
nickel and cobalt sulphates to tailor the materials to the requirements of high
nickel cathode materials. The site will solely use locally generated renewable
energy and we are working with the City of Vaasa to develop a sustainable heat
recovery solution which feeds the local heating system network. These
developments are a major step towards sustainable cathode material production,
which our customers are increasingly demanding.
Our Finland plant will have a nameplate capacity of 30kT and, subject to board
approval following completion of the design, we expect to start construction
later this year supporting our progress towards securing customer contracts
over the coming years.
Securing supply of critical raw materials
Our commitment to developing a sustainable ecosystem is critically important to
our customers. With raw materials such as nickel, cobalt and lithium forecast
to be in deficit over the coming years due to increasing numbers of electric
vehicles, through our strategic partnerships we are providing long term
security of our supply chain whilst delivering sustainable and responsibly
sourced critical raw materials.
Developing an efficient, sustainable supply of nickel and cobalt with Nornickel
We announce today that we have signed a term sheet with Nornickel – a world
leading supplier of refined nickel products – for the supply of nickel and
cobalt from Nornickel's metal refineries in Harjavalta, Finland and in the Kola
region, Russia. This secures the supply of sustainable, responsibly sourced raw
materials for our cathode material production in both Poland and Finland.
In addition to the supply of metals, JM and Nornickel also intend to
collaborate on other important topics of the battery materials value chain,
including on the digitalisation of the supply chain, circular economy
opportunities, the application of a newly developed metal dissolution
technology and further enhancement of the sustainability of the value chain.
Securing lithium supply with SQM
We also announce today that we have signed an agreement with our fellow Global
Battery Alliance member, SQM – a world leading supplier of sustainable lithium
products – to supply lithium hydroxide from its Salar del Carmen plant in
Antofagasta, Chile.
The developments with Nornickel and SQM, in conjunction with the investment by
Finnish Minerals Group, form an important part of the sustainable supply chain
for our cathode materials plants in both Finland and Poland.
Robert MacLeod, Chief Executive, commented:
"The partnership with Finnish Minerals Group, and the long term supply of
critical raw materials with Nornickel and SQM, are important milestones on our
journey towards developing a sustainable battery materials ecosystem and
further demonstrate the progress we are making on the commercialisation of our
business. With sustainability at the heart our strategy and an increasingly
important requirement for our customers and consumers, we are delighted to be
working with our partners to deliver sustainable cathode materials to the
market."
Matti Hietanen, Chief Executive, Finnish Minerals Group, commented:
"We are very happy Johnson Matthey has decided to select Finland as the
location of their second eLNO plant. Finnish Minerals Group and Johnson Matthey
share a strong commitment to sustainable solutions, so we are excited to have
signed a strategic partnership to develop novel solutions for sodium sulphate
and raw material treatment. This is a strong testament of Finland's leading
position in developing a sustainable battery materials ecosystem in Europe."
Anton Berlin, VP Sales and Commerce, Nornickel, commented:
"We welcome JM's decision to locate their plant in Finland which will further
develop the Finnish battery ecosystem, and we are very pleased to establish a
new long term relationship in the supply of nickel and cobalt. The product
portfolio of our Finnish refinery in Harjavalta is a perfect match for the
battery segment's needs and this supply is another clear demonstration of our
commitment to support the development of a sustainable European battery supply
chain."
Ricardo Ramos, Chief Executive Officer, SQM, commented:
"We are excited to enter into a long-term supply agreement of Lithium Hydroxide
with Johnson Matthey. Our companies have a strong commitment to the important
transition to a zero-carbon transport. Last year we announced our goal to
produce carbon neutral lithium products by 2030. We are the first lithium
producer to join IRMA as a pending member and we believe it will help ensure
the most comprehensive implementation of strict standards for sustainable
lithium production in the Salar de Atacama in Chile. We are working on a major
lithium expansion plan while at the same time reducing our environmental
footprint by cutting our brine extraction and freshwater consumption in half by
2030."
SOURCE: Johnson Matthey
本プレスリリースは発表元が入力した原稿をそのまま掲載しております。また、プレスリリースへのお問い合わせは発表元に直接お願いいたします。
このプレスリリースには、報道機関向けの情報があります。
プレス会員登録を行うと、広報担当者の連絡先や、イベント・記者会見の情報など、報道機関だけに公開する情報が閲覧できるようになります。