15 Dec 2022 | 15:31 UTC

Niobium set for greater uptake in high-end battery market, says Brazil's CBMM

Highlights

CBMM partnerships scale up as high-end battery market develops

Niobium seen replacing cobalt, graphite in certain battery applications

Battery-grade oxide production project moving forward in Brazil

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Brazilian miner and processor CBMM is stepping up sales of niobium products to battery materials producers as it seeks to enlarge the market for niobium-bearing batteries in high-end industrial and commercial markets including heavy trucks and equipment, rail operation and energy storage.

"The world is really moving towards electrification despite the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and an economic slowdown. We are increasing our investments in niobium-related battery technology," Rogerio Ribas, CBMM battery director, told S&P Global Commodity Insights in an interview.

"The high-end of the market is not well-served by current battery technologies," he said.

A number of joint ventures set up by the niobium producer are now expanding with a "very positive response" from development partners, he said.

Lithium-ion batteries modified with niobium can charge safely, without fire risk, in up to 10 minutes, compared to equivalent charging of a traditional lithium-ion battery in two-to-three hours, Ribas said. Using niobium-mix metal oxides instead of graphite on the anode side of a battery enhances safety and price stability, he said.

CBMM, the world's biggest niobium producer, aims to invest $80 million in expanding its niobium oxides production capacity to 40,000 mt/year by 2030 from the current 10,000 mt/year, as it develops a diversification strategy which should see 25% of its revenue coming from non-steel products by that date. Currently ferroniobium is its main production and sales area, with 150,000 mt/year capacity. Ferroniobium is used to strengthen steel for critical applications in construction and transport.

The current investment will allow production of 3,000 mt/year of niobium oxide battery grade in 2024 for applications in the lithium-ion battery segment for high-power, long-life, safer and ultra-fast charging technologies.

Battery chemistries have in recent years been impacted by various metals' price volatility and availability issues. With relative steady supply from few producers, niobium oxide prices have meanwhile stayed relatively stable at around $35,000-$40,000 /mt, with fluctuations of more than 3% up or down being rare events. Chinese production may fluctuate more than output from with Brazil or Canada, said Ribas.

Niobium is currently cheaper than cobalt, which it can substitute in batteries, but more expensive than nickel.

Partnerships

Demand appears to be rising fast. CBMM is close to selling 500 mt of a mix of niobium products to China this year, a five-fold increase on 2021, Ribas said.

Depending on chemical composition, the niobium-bearing battery could have a life of up to 50,000 cycles, compared to 3,000-5,000 cycles for a traditional lithium-ion battery, and could also be smaller-sized.

"Demand has been growing in China even with COVID lockdowns," Ribas said. "Most of the cathode makers we have agreements with were shut in the first half of the year... so sales could be higher in 2023."

The Chinese private-sector cathode-making customers use a small quantity of niobium to stabilize the batteries, for use in the Chinese and broader Asian market, the CBMM director said. The miner also works with CITIC, a Chinese state-owned trader, which is also a shareholder in CBMM.

Other partnerships appear to be flourishing. CBMM on Dec. 13 announced a multi-year manufacturing partnership with Cambridge, UK-based battery materials innovator Echion Technologies for construction of a 2,000 mt/year facility in Araxá, Brazil, where anode-grade niobium oxides will be incorporated into Echion´s safe, fast-charging and long-life XNO battery anode material.

The facility, to open early 2024, will have capacity to supply material equivalent to 1GWh of battery cell production. This will position Echion as the first supplier of niobium-based battery anode oxides at a commercial scale, allowing it to meet growing demand for these products in industrial electrification, CBMM said in a statement.

Echion recently signed an initial offtake accord for niobium-bearing materials with Morrow Batteries, a battery maker in Norway, Ribas said.

Another development partner, Nano One Materials Corp, a Canada-based cathode materials producer, is shortly expected to scale up and license a niobium-bearing product.

Battery Streak, a US battery maker in which CBMM holds a 20% stake, is also scaling up in larger premises and using some niobium in anodes, Ribas said.

Battery Streak bought some 500 kg of niobium products this year and is targeting the high end of the battery market, including defense, flight motors, medical and power tools, supplying to various US companies, he said.

CBMM is scaling up an existing alliance with Toshiba in Japan to increase production of cell A-samples for experimental use in e-buses, heavy trucks and cars.

The plan is to make up to 10,000 large-format cells next year, using 5 mt to 10 mt of niobium, for potential commercial-scale sale if the market accepts this, Ribas said.

"Niobium-bearing batteries are ideal for mining trucks which need power and a long-life battery pack and can't stop for 10 hours to charge," the CBMM director said

A partnership has also been struck with Cambridge-based battery start-up Nyobolt, which is combining use of niobium and titanium in battery production and recently raised GBP50 million ($615.70 million) to scale up, according to Ribas.

Recycling prospects

CBMM is also assessing best processing routes for full recycling of niobium-bearing anodes in batteries.

"The problem is how to collect the batteries," Ribas said. "Agreements for this may need to be set up with customers worldwide."