POSCO Future M Ships First Batch from Pohang NCA Cathode Material Dedicated Plant

Start of Operation Advanced by 3 Months
248,500 Tons of Cathode Materials Production by 2026

POSCO Future M announced on the 13th that it has officially started operations by making the initial shipment of products produced at the Pohang NCA cathode material dedicated plant on the 12th.

NCA cathode material is a high-nickel product with a nickel content of 88%. It uses cobalt, aluminum, and other raw materials in addition to nickel, resulting in high energy density and output for batteries, and is mainly used in high-performance electric vehicle batteries.

POSCO Future M employees are celebrating the initial shipment of NCA cathode materials at the Pohang cathode material plant on the 12th.
[Photo by POSCO Future M]

POSCO Future M signed a supply contract worth approximately 40 trillion KRW with Samsung SDI in January last year and has been supplying NCA cathode materials by utilizing part of the line at the Gwangyang plant. To respond to customer requests, the NCA cathode material dedicated plant under construction in Pohang was started about three months ahead of schedule, beginning operations in October.

By operating the first NCA cathode material dedicated plant in Pohang with an annual production capacity of 30,000 tons, POSCO Future M has established a mass production system capable of stably responding to large-scale orders. Additionally, a dedicated NCA cathode material plant with an annual capacity of 52,500 tons is being constructed in Gwangyang, scheduled for completion in 2025, which will enable a total annual production capacity of 82,500 tons of NCA cathode materials in the future.

The NCA cathode material dedicated plants in Pohang and Gwangyang plan to expand the production of single-crystal cathode materials, whose demand is rapidly increasing due to the high-performance requirements of electric vehicles. Single-crystal cathode materials are made by bonding raw materials into a single particle structure, enhancing battery thermal stability and lifespan, and require advanced technology during the manufacturing process.

POSCO Future M plans to complete production plants with an annual capacity of 106,000 tons in Pohang, including the newly completed NCA cathode material dedicated plant, and 142,500 tons in Gwangyang by 2026, achieving a total cathode material production capacity of 248,500 tons.