Grids & Energy
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Cathode precursors (pCAM), China & Korea

Changsha, China28.23°N 112.94°E
computed criticality17/100
reading
China ~85% of cathode materials (LFP ~99%; NMC >75%); Korea ~9%, a distant #2
2024
Fault line

A battery's performance and cost hinge on the cathode (NMC, LFP), whose precursors are made mostly in China and Korea. A high-value chemical link between refined metal and the cell.

Stable2030

Cathode precursors (pCAM) and LFP cathodes remain a near-Chinese monopoly (~95%), production the IEA describes as 'almost entirely concentrated in China' through 2030, with the pipeline of non-China projects still limited.AIE, Global EV Outlook, 2026

Actors
CNGR
Ronbay
Umicore
EcoPro
Sources