Vulcan was thrilled to be at the grand opening of Umicore’s greenfield plant in Nysa, Poland.

Umicore is a leader in cathode materials production which are used in lithium-ion batteries for electrified transportation. Their new facility is the first cathode materials plant in Europe and will play a key role in the accelerated move to electromobility.

Umicore has a net zero emission Greenhouse Gas (GHG) goal by 2035, part of its “Go to Zero” initiative, and the Nysa plant will be carbon neutral as of the start of production.

The plant will employ 400 people, consistent with Umicore’s ambition to be a preferred employer in the region. Umicore have also committed to make safety and environment a top priority for its people and neighbours.

In October 2021, Vulcan signed a binding lithium hydroxide offtake agreement with Umicore. As the first cathode maker in Europe, Umicore will be a valuable offtake partner for Vulcan, as a direct consumer of our sustainable, lithium hydroxide products.

At the time of the announcement, Mathias Miedreich, CEO of Umicore said: “In light of the accelerating transition to electromobility it is crucial to secure a reliable supply of critical raw materials, that is also environmentally and socially responsible. These long-term supply agreements mark another important step in Umicore’s sustainable procurement strategy and demonstrate our strong commitment to support the growth of our global customers through the creation of sustainable and regional battery materials value chains.”

Vulcan’s Chief Commercial Officer, Vincent Ledoux-Pedailles attended the event. Reflecting on the occasion he said, “Umicore shares our ambition to decarbonise the battery supply chain in Europe, by building a carbon neutral cathode plant in Poland.

“We look forward to a long and fruitful cooperation with Umicore as we work together towards decarbonisation of transportation in Europe, through electrification of transport, and by developing the full value chain for EV battery production within the EU.”