HOME What We Do Lithium/Nickel
POSCO Holdings is fully equipped to provide critical rechargeable battery cathode ingredients, such as lithium and nickel, as well as the system to produce cathode active materials. Hence, we are well positioned to be a leading provider of eco-friendly future materials.
Brine/Ore Lithium
By having the foresight to acquire a salt lake in Argentina to build a brine lithium plant and by investing in a lithium mine in Australia, we are growing our competitiveness in lithium.
- Argentina Salt Lake
- Operator POSCO Argentina (100% owned by POSCO Holdings)
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Location
Salta/Catamarca, Argentina
Hombre Muerto Salt Lake - Reserve 13,517K tons (LCE)
- Brine Lithium Extraction Plant
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Operator
POSCO Argentina (100% owned by POSCO Holdings),
POSCO Lithium Solution (100% owned by POSCO Holdings) -
Location
Salta/Catamarca, Argentina
Hombre Muerto Salt Lake
Gwangyang Yulchon Industrial Complex -
Annual Yield
Lithium hydroxide 50K tons
(Phases 1 & 2: 25K tons each)
- Australia Mine
- Operator Pilbara Minerals (2.76% owned by POSCO Holdings)
- Location Pilgan Mine in Pilgangoora, Western Australia
- Annual Yield Spodumene off-take, 315,000 tons/year
- Ore Lithium Plant
- Operator POSCO Pilbara Lithium Solution (POSCO Holdings 82%, Pilbara 18%)
- Location Gwangyang Yulchon Industrial Complex, Korea
- Annual Yield Lithium hydroxide 43K tons
We are working on battery-grade nickel sulfate using ferronickel as well as nickel sulfate refinery in connection with our shares purchase of a hydrometallurgical processing company.
To stay ahead in the rapidly advancing used battery market, we have built upstream and downstream recycling processes in Korea and overseas.
Used Battery Recycling
In Poland, we opened PLSC, a plant that produces black powder from scrap and used batteries. In Gwangyang, Korea, we opened POSCO HY Clean Metal, a plant which extracts cathode materials, such as lithium, nickel and cobalt, from black powder supplied by PLSC. Additionally, a recycling JV has been set up with GS Energy to enhance our competitiveness in used battery collection.
We will keep our unrivaled edge in the lithium/nickel business by diversifying our supply sources, strengthening production technologies and establishing strategic partnerships.
Our Effort to Enhance Competitiveness Continues
In lithium, we will grow to be global top 3, buttressed by diverse resource base and tailored processes. In Nickel, our low-carbon technology, global production base and strategic partnership will drive our competitiveness.
2030 Lithium/Nickel Production Target
We will scale our annual production capacity to 423,000 tons of lithium and to 240,000 tons of nickel by 2030.
Raw Materials
Li Lithium 423,000 tons
Ni Nickel 240,000 tons
Battery Materials
+ Cathode materials 1 million tons
- Anode materials 370,000 tons