Umicore Increases Korean Plant Production

In December Umicore decided for the second time in a year to increase the production capacity of lithium-based cathode material at its plant in Cheonan, South Korea, to more than 3,000 tons per year.

With its Cellcore line of products, Umicore is a leading producer of lithium cobalt dioxide used as the cathode material in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.

Worldwide consumption of lithium metal oxides, where the metal used is still primarily cobalt, has been growing in line with increased demand for Li-ion batteries. However, the battery industry has voiced concerns about the volatility in the price of cobalt, spurring a renewed interest in alternative compounds using less cobalt. Umicore’s additional capacity will have the required flexibility to produce these new compounds.