Umicore’s battery materials division develops and manufactures advanced cathode active materials (CAM) including manganese-rich HLM (High Lithium, Manganese) technology and NMC (Nickel, Manganese, Cobalt) compounds. Their manufacturing processes employ strict quality controls and sustainable practices. Integrated recycling uses proprietary pyro-hydro technology to recover lithium, cobalt, nickel, and copper from end-of-life batteries, refining them into new cathode materials to complete a circular economy loop.
Portfolio includes manganese-rich HLM cathode materials and NMC-based cathode active materials for electric vehicle batteries, offering high energy density, extended driving range, enhanced efficiency, and reduced environmental impact.
Early 2024 strategic pause of Loyalist, Ontario plant construction to optimize existing capacity; serving North America via Cheonan, Korea with €40 million annual savings by 2025; acquisition of YPhos ligand technology and launch of a cross-coupling catalyst system; Capital Markets Day scheduled for 2025 to review Battery Materials strategy.
Umicore maintains a high free float with a diverse European and North American shareholder base, covered by 22 brokerage firms. Major shareholders: Groupe Bruxelles Lambert S.A. (16.5%), Norges Bank (5.3%), Silchester International Investors LLP (5.1%), SFPIM (5.0%), BlackRock, Inc. (4.3%), with the remainder held in free float. In 2022, Umicore formed a joint venture with PowerCo (Volkswagen Group) for European battery materials. Financing is arranged via fixed-rate medium/long-term notes and international bank credit lines.
