Umicore bets on manganese against LFP, 90% of refining concentrated in China

LMR and NMC: the same industrial capacity for multiple chemistries

This is an institutional statement that reinforces the group's positioning on this metal. Umicore uses manganese in its nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) cathode materials, where it serves as a structural stabilizer and improves thermal stability, according to Pierre-Etienne, Director of Research, Development and Innovation. The group describes LMR chemistry as an area of growing importance: less loaded with nickel and cobalt, it offers lower metal costs for energy density comparable to NMC, according to the company.

Umicore indicates it has developed and protected specific LMR cathode materials that can be produced at its sites in Finland and Poland. "We are focusing on maximizing manganese content and reducing cobalt and nickel while maintaining performance," Pierre-Etienne stated, clarifying that materials with high nickel or manganese content can be manufactured in the same plants.

The group says it holds key patents on solid electrolyte batteries, a technology not yet commercialized, and has developed an LMR variant dedicated to this technology.

Traceability, carbon footprint and recycling: issues raised

Within the Cobalt and Specialty Materials (CSM) business, manganese is incorporated into products such as manganese acetate and carbonate, used primarily as catalysts in the chemical industry, particularly for the production of purified terephthalic acid, a PET precursor.

On supply, Vincent Braet, Umicore's manganese procurement manager, believes that "visibility across the entire supply chain is not yet at the desired level." He highlights a carbon footprint generally lower than that of other battery raw materials, with ore often containing 40% metal or more.

Recycling remains limited at this stage: manganese typically costs 2 dollars per kilogram, which reduces the incentive to recover it. According to Vincent Braet, batteries that will enter recycling streams over the next 10 to 15 years will still contain more cobalt and nickel than manganese.