Umicore has entered into two separate agreements for the supply of precursor cathode active materials (pCAM) for electric vehicle batteries with CNGR and Eco&Dream Co. (E&D). The pCAM, a critical component of EV batteries, will cater to Umicore's customer contracts in North America and Asia.

The two mid-to-long-term contracts are part of Umicore’s sourcing diversification strategy and complement the Group’s own manufacturing of pCAM in Finland, which has an annual production capacity of 20,000 tons, and China, where capacity is at 80,000 tons a year. Umicore produces both pCAM and cathode active materials (CAM), completing the EV battery value chain from natural resources to finished EVs. Both battery materials have a significant role in determining the performance, energy density, lifespan of the batteries and, ultimately, total cost of CAM.

Both suppliers ensure high-quality production and the most elevated standards of environmental sustainability with their recent, most advanced, low-carbon manufacturing plants.

COBCO, a joint-venture between CNGR and AL MADA, recently commissioned its first pCAM production lines at the industrial port of Jorf Lasfar, Morocco. Umicore will start contracting volumes in early 2026.

Umicore has already started to contract volumes from E&D, which recently opened a pCAM factory in Saemangeum, next to its existing production facility in Cheongju. Both locations are part of Korea’s battery materials manufacturing clusters.