Umicore cathode materials plant in Nysa
The Umicore plant in Nysa (Radzikowice, Opolskie Voivodeship) produces cathode active materials (CAM) for lithium-ion cells for electric vehicles. Construction began in 2019, production started in July 2022, and the official inauguration took place on 21 September 2022. Umicore presents the facility as Europe's first cathode materials gigafactory, powered by energy from a nearby onshore wind farm. Target capacity was to reach 20 GWh by the end of 2023 and 40 GWh in 2024, with potential of over 200 GWh in the second half of the decade.
How it went
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- Current
- operating; existing capacity secures PowerCo CAM demand for Salzgitter from 2025 (2023-2028)
- Capacity or target
- 20 GWh planned end-2023 / 40 GWh planned 2024, revised to ~45 GWh by 2028
- Unit
- GWh/yr
Timeline
Slip: about 2 years vs. the original date (given as a year)
- Announced2018
- Construction start2019
- Original date2020
- Delivery2022
Change history
- Jul 2022stage: operational
- 2019stage: construction
Significance
Europe's first gigafactory-scale cathode materials plant, part of building a European battery value chain and reducing dependence on Asian suppliers. The plant supplies CAM to cell and vehicle manufacturers in Europe and creates industrial infrastructure and jobs in the Nysa region (approx. 240 people at the time of opening, with plans to grow to approx. 400). Its growth depends on the pace of demand for electric vehicles in Europe.
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- Umicore21 Sep 2022StatusStageConstruction startInvestorStage historyDelivery
Status · Investor · DeliveryUmicore today inaugurates its carbon neutral production facility for cathode active materials for electric vehicles in Nysa, Poland.
Stage · Construction start · Stage historyConstruction of the plant began in 2019 and production started in July this year.
- electrive.com21 Sep 2022DeliverySchedule
Delivery · ScheduleProduction has been running since July, but the factory in Nysa has only just been officially opened.
- Umicore Poland
LocationRadzikowice 1c 48-300 Nysa, Poland
- World Construction Network16 Jun 2020Funding
FundingInitially, the loan from EIB, which has a maturity of eight years, will cover half of the project costs and nearly 350 full-time jobs will be created once the facility starts operations.
- Umicore27 Mar 2025Scope
Scope50% Capex reduction in Battery Cathode Materials
- [6]Slowdown in EV growth significantly impacts 2024 outlook for Umicore's Battery Materials activities ↗archived ✓Umicore12 Jun 2024
- [7]Umicore outlines its European production roadmap for cathode materials (Nysa site selection) ↗archived ✓Umicore1 Jun 2018AnnouncedOriginal date
AnnouncedUmicore has now selected a site in Nysa, Poland, for this investment.
Original dateThe first phase of this investment is included in the € 660 million programme announced earlier this year and is due to start deliveries in late 2020.
- [8]IONWAY - the Umicore/PowerCo JV - to locate its first production plant in Nysa, Poland ↗archived ✓UmicoreNov 2024Utilisation
UtilisationPowerCo´s CAM demand for the Salzgitter cell gigafactory is secured from the existing production capacity of Umicore in Nysa in time for its start of production in 2025.