South Korean metals producer LS MnM plans to use sulphuric acid recovered from copper smelting at its new battery-materials plant in Onsan, according to the Maeil Business Newspaper.
The acid will be used to leach nickel and cobalt at the plant, which is now scheduled for completion by the end of 2026. The process will produce nickel sulphate and cobalt sulphate for use in lithium-ion battery cathode precursors.
Sulphur dioxide from copper smelting is converted by LS MnM into sulphuric acid
LS MnM captures sulphur dioxide generated during copper smelting and converts it into sulphuric acid, rather than releasing the gas into the atmosphere. Its Onsan smelter has capacity to produce 1.925 million tonnes of sulphuric acid annually.
Using this internally produced acid should reduce the battery plant’s exposure to rising sulphur and sulphuric acid prices. Sulphuric acid produced as a smelting by-product does not require purchased elemental sulphur as feedstock.
The Won670 billion ($484 million) battery-materials complex will combine facilities for refining mixed hydroxide precipitate with a black-mass recycling plant. It is designed to produce nickel, cobalt and manganese sulphates, while lithium recovered from black mass will be converted into lithium hydroxide.
Previously published plans gave the plant an annual nickel sulphate capacity equivalent to 22,000 tonnes of nickel metal. Full-scale production was originally expected to begin in early 2027.
LS MnM already operates a smaller nickel sulphate plant in Asan. The company has said it intends to expand its nickel sulphate capacity to 270,000 tonnes by 2030 and establish an integrated supply chain encompassing sulphate metals, cathode precursors and recycling.
The Maeil Business Newspaper said higher sulphuric acid prices were encouraging LS MnM and fellow South Korean smelter Korea Zinc to treat the chemical as a growth business.
Korea Zinc plans to increase production of semiconductor-grade sulphuric acid at its Onsan smelter from 280,000 to 320,000 tonnes annually during the second half of 2026. It has a longer-term target of 500,000 tonnes, but this output is principally intended for cleaning semiconductor wafers rather than battery-material production.
Photo credit: LS MnM
