Umicore and ACC enter strategic partnership for EV battery materials in Europe

Umicore and ACC enter strategic partnership for EV battery materials in Europe

Umicore and Automotive Cells Company (ACC – a joint company between Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz and TotalEnergies together with its subsidiary Saft) have signed a long-term strategic supply agreement for EV (electric vehicle) cathode materials in Europe. Umicore will supply ACC's future large-scale European battery plants¹ with next-generation high nickel cathode materials out of its greenfield production plant in Nysa, Poland.

The long-term agreement will start with an annual offtake commitment of 13 GWh to a major platform of a European car manufacturer with first commercial volumes expected in early 2024. Umicore and ACC share the ambition to further develop their partnership with the potential to grow annually supplied volumes to reach at least 46 GWh by 2030, equivalent to powering at least 500,000 EVs per year.

The partnership supports ACC's growth and sustainability ambitions by providing ACC access to critical, high-performing and ethically sourced battery materials for the ramp-up of its European cell production. In turn, it will provide Umicore secured access to substantial demand for its cathode materials and further diversify its exposure to major and diverse players in the EV value chain.

“We are very pleased to partner with ACC by enabling the fast transition to electric driving,” said Mathias Miedreich, CEO of Umicore. “Our long-standing track-record in developing high-performance battery materials with industry benchmark quality levels, together with our sustainability leadership and closed-loop approach make us a preferred partner for our customers globally.”

“With this important agreement, which secures the supply of a key component for the battery industry, ACC confirms its ambition to become a European leader for car batteries that allow clean and efficient mobility for all”, said Yann Vincent, CEO of ACC.

This long-term supply agreement is a major milestone for Umicore's Rechargeable Battery Materials business and complements Umicore's recent agreement with ACC on battery recycling, whereby Umicore will be recycling the battery production waste at ACC's testing facilities in France.

About Umicore 

Umicore is a global materials technology and recycling group. It focuses on application areas where its expertise in materials science, chemistry and metallurgy makes a real difference. Its activities are organised in three business groups: Catalysis, Energy & Surface Technologies and Recycling. Each business group is divided into market-focused business units offering materials and solutions that are at the cutting edge of new technological developments and essential to everyday life. 

Umicore generates the majority of its revenues and dedicates most of its R&D efforts to clean mobility materials and recycling. Umicore's overriding goal of sustainable value creation is based on an ambition to develop, produce and recycle materials in a way that fulfils its mission: materials for a better life. 

Umicore's industrial and commercial operations as well as R&D activities are located across the world to best serve its global customer base. The Group generated revenues (excluding metal) of € 4.0 billion (turnover of € 24.1 billion) and employed 11,050 people in 2021. 

About ACC 

Automotive Cells Company (ACC) was founded in August 2020 and is the result of an initiative undertaken by Stellantis and TotalEnergies — together with its subsidiary Saft — recently joined by Mercedes-Benz, and strongly supported by France, Germany, and the European Union. ACC will combine the expertise of these three major companies with complementary skills and experience. ACC's purpose is to develop and produce battery cells and modules for electric vehicles with a focus on safety, performance, and competitiveness, while ensuring the highest level of quality and the lowest carbon footprint. And in doing so, to become a European leader for car batteries that allow clean and efficient mobility for all. https://www.acc-emotion.com

For more information 

Investor Relations 

Eva Behaeghe               +32 2 227 70 68                  [email protected]

Adrien Raicher              +32 2 227 70 68                   [email protected]

Media Relations 

Marjolein Scheers          +32 2 227 71 47                 [email protected] 

Caroline Jacobs             +32 2 227 71 29                      [email protected]

ACC

Matthieu Hubert          +33 6 88 05 16 26           [email protected] 

¹ ACC is constructing Gigafactories in France and Germany and recently announced plans for a third Gigafactory in Italy.