Belgian recycler Umicore said it signed a long-term agreement with Terrafame, Finnish supplier of battery chemicals for the supply of low carbon, sustainable high-grade nickel sulphate.
Commercial deliveries have already started and more will take place during 2023, it said.
Umicore said it and Terrafame are committed to establishing a sustainable battery materials value chain in Europe. The chain is aligned with the environmental and human rights principles set out in Umicore’s Global Sustainable Sourcing Policy and Terrafame’s sustainability commitments.
The low carbon footprint of Terrafame’s processes was critical for Umicore’s ambition to decarbonise the battery materials value chain, it said.
Umicore said high-quality nickel is a critical raw material for the production of cathode materials. This agreement for locally produced nickel sulphate allows the industry to meet the growing demand for cathode materials from its customers in the region.
It will cover a substantial part of the future nickel requirements of Umicore’s cathode materials plant in Poland. It started production in mid-2022. Umicore said it is Europe’s first Gigafactory for cathode materials.
