NAATBatt 2026 Recycling & Lifecycle Management Workshop

NAATBatt will hold its 9th annual workshop on lithium battery recycling and lifecycle management on July 7-8, 2026, at Michigan State University's MEC Center in Troy, Michigan. The workshop will examine the technologies, business models and economic challenges involved in recycling and reusing lithium batteries in North America. Building a secure supply chain of battery materials in North America may ultimately depend heavily on the "urban mining" of battery materials. Learn about the prospects for lithium battery recycling and reuse in North America and meet the companies and experts that are already doing business in this sector. Watch this newsletter for additional information about the 2026 Recycling & Lifecycle Management Workshop and for the opening of registration for it.

Affordable Power Conference & Expo: Innovative Energy Storage for Grids & Data Center

NAATBatt and NY-BEST are partnering on a new conference and expo focused on the energy storage and power generation needs of data centers and grid operators. Affordable Power Conference & Expo: Innovative Energy Storage for Grids & Data Centers will be held on November 3-5, 2026 at the On Center in Syracuse, New York. The Expo will be a free-to-attend event offering companies providing energy storage and energy generation products to data centers and other microgrids the opportunity to highlight their expertise and meet potential customers. The Expo will be co-located with a conference discussing the policy drivers, economics, and innovative new energy technologies shaping this rapidly growing market. Watch this newsletter for more information about this program and for a link to the exhibitor prospectus.

NAATBatt 2027 Annual Meeting & Conference

It is not too early to start planning for NAATBatt 2027. NAATBatt 2027, the 18th annual meeting of NAATBatt International, be held on February 8–11, 2027, at the Westin Rancho Mirage in Rancho Mirage, California, just outside Palm Springs. The NAATBatt annual meeting features presentations by leading consulting firms and market analysts about various sectors of the battery market, in-person meetings of all 18 NAATBatt communities/committees, short Member Update Presentations by NAATBatt member firms, and simply the best networking available anywhere in the North American advanced battery industry. Mark your calendar and watch this newsletter for updates about NAATBatt 2027.

NAATBatt Lithium-Ion Battery Supply Chain Database

The National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), formerly the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), has released a major update to the NAATBatt Lithium-Ion Battery Supply Chain Database. Developed in collaboration with Avicenne Energy US, the enhanced edition expands coverage to 1,178 facilities and 1,022 companies across North America. New features include real-time production data, detailed construction timelines, and expanded tracking of upstream, midstream, downstream, and recycling activities. The database is available through an online interface or as an Excel download to support strategic planning. An updated edition of the database will be released in April 2026.

First launched in 2021, the database remains the most comprehensive directory of North American lithium-based battery companies, organized by product line and including suppliers of goods and services used in battery production. The February 2025 update added NAATBatt member professional service providers serving the industry. Updated twice yearly, the database allows companies to submit additions, corrections, or requests for inclusion directly to NLR.

New NAATBatt Website

NAATBatt’s new website is now live! Visit us at: www.naatbatt.org. Certain information and resources are available exclusively to members, and an account is required to access this content. Employees of all NAATBatt member firms should register to gain entry to the private member portal. The portal contains links to special resources and tools. For a guide on how to register and take advantage of this new NAATBatt member only resource, go to: https://www.naatbatt.org/blog/welcome-to-the-new-naatbatt-website

NAATBatt Communities

NAATBatt has 18 active subject matter committees/communities, offering NAATBatt members a way to hear about new developments in 18 different sectors of the advanced battery industry. And here's the kicker: It costs nothing to join a NAATBatt committee and participate in the community discussions. Just sign up here. NAATBatt subject matter communities are the new "water cooler" of the North American advanced battery industry: the place to hear the scuttlebutt about what is really going on. It makes no sense not to join.

Upcoming Meetings:

• March 24, 8:30 a.m. PT | 11:30 a.m. ET – ESS & Data Center Community
• March 27, 10:00 a.m. PT | 1:00 p.m. ET – Battery Finance Community

Member Press Releases

Nano One is pleased to provide a progress update on its lithium iron phosphate (LFP) production capacity expansion project at its Candiac facility, which will result in an increased capacity of 800 tonnes per annum (tpa).

Click here for the full news release.

NAATBatt members interested in publishing press releases about developments at their companies in this section of the newsletter should send their releases by e-mail to Vivian Yu at NAATBatt by Thursday of each week.

Community Pulse

What Is Next for Sodium-Ion? Key Updates from the Community

The NAATBatt Sodium Battery Community continues to build strong momentum, with recent discussions highlighting both industry growth and strategic priorities for the months ahead.

A central focus of the Community meeting held earlier this week was the development of a comprehensive U.S. sodium-ion industry white paper. Co-chair Heather Platt discussed that the effort will showcase the sector’s value proposition through cost projections, performance data, and supply chain analysis. New contributors, including cell manufacturers and module and pack developers, are joining the initiative, strengthening the paper’s market relevance. Participating companies will contribute individual sections to demonstrate real-world demand and technical progress. The draft is targeted for completion by late April or early May, after which it will be submitted to NAATBatt’s Strategic Alignment Committee for review.

The group also explored key applications for sodium-ion technology. Discussions emphasized its strong potential in long-duration energy storage and as a replacement for lead-acid batteries across a wide range of uses, including automotive starter systems, telecommunications, data centers, and utility infrastructure. These applications highlight sodium-ion’s growing role where lithium-ion may not be the optimal solution.

Manufacturing considerations were another important topic. Bill Orabone outlined opportunities for cost savings through smaller facilities, simplified processes, and emerging techniques such as dry electrode coating. At the same time, participants noted the importance of developing objective, data-informed cost insights that reflect real-world conditions across the industry, as well as identifying gaps in the U.S. supply chain, particularly in cathode production.

As the sodium-ion sector continues to evolve, the NAATBatt Sodium Battery Community offers a collaborative space to share insights, contribute to key initiatives, and help shape the future of this emerging technology. Join the Sodium Battery Community today.

Li-Bridge Corner

DoW Virtual Industry Day: FY26 NDAA Section 842 Implementation

The Department of War (DoW), with support from The University of Texas at Dallas BEACONS program, will host a virtual Industry Day on March 24 from 1:00–3:00 PM EST to outline its implementation approach for FY26 NDAA Section 842.

The session will present DoW’s initial strategy, discuss implementation challenges, and gather feedback from industry partners. A live Q&A will be included, and attendees are encouraged to schedule private meetings with the DoW team to share additional feedback.

Registration is required. Please click here to register at least one day prior to the event to receive the webinar join link. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with the join link. Please also click here to submit any questions in advance.

DoW looks forward to collaborating with industry to secure defense battery supply chains.

Advanced Battery Industry News

Tesla and LG Energy Solution are expanding their partnership with a supply agreement to build a $4.3 billion LFP (lithium iron phosphate) prismatic battery cell manufacturing facility in Lansing, Michigan, launching production in 2027. The cells will power Tesla's Megapack 3 energy storage systems (ESS) produced in Houston. (Source: U.S. Dept of the Interior)

Rivian Automotive and Uber Technologies announced a partnership to help accelerate both companies’ autonomous vehicle plans, expecting to deploy 10,000 autonomous R2 robotaxis in the 1st phase of R2 robotaxi deployment. Initial deployments are expected to begin in San Francisco and Miami in 2028 and expand to 25 cities by 2031. Uber will also invest up to $1.25 billion in Rivian through 2031, subject to the achievement of certain autonomous milestones by specific dates. (Source: Rivian)

Nth Cycle has signed a binding 10-year agreement with Trafigura worth about $1.1 billion. Under the agreement, Trafigura will purchase 2,000 tonnes of contained nickel in mixed hydroxide precipitate and 1,500 tonnes of lithium carbonate, which will be refined from 12,000 tonnes of black mass. (Source: Nth Cycle)

Samsung SDI America has signed a KRW 1.5 trillion ($1 billion) deal to supply ESS batteries in phases for a U.S. energy company over a 4-year period from this year through 2029. The batteries will be produced at StarPlus Energy’s plant in Indiana (joint venture (JV) between Samsung SDI and Stellantis). Initial supplies will begin with NCA and later expand to LFP. (Source: Samsung SDI)

POSCO Future M signed a 5-year supply agreement with an automaker to supply artificial graphite anode material. The approximately KRW 1.0149 trillion ($682 million) contract spans from 2027 to 2032, with provisions for extension by mutual agreement. To fulfill the order, the company has approved an investment of approximately KRW 357 billion ($240 million) to build a plant for artificial graphite anode material in Vietnam. (Source: POSCO Future M)

Sieyuan Electric announced the signing of a 2.5 GWh (gigawatt-hour) energy storage agreement with a Romanian energy developer. The deal follows other GWh scale projects secured this month, bringing the company's total contracted capacity in Romania to over 4.5 GWh so far in 2026. (Source: Sieyuan Electric)

e-STORAGE (Canadian Solar’s energy storage solutions business) has entered into supply agreement with a U.S. utility for a 500MW/2,493MWh (megawatt-hour) DC battery energy storage system (BESS) project, supporting data center grid infrastructure and resiliency. Under the agreement, the company will supply approximately 500 SolBank 3.0 containers. Shipments are expected to start in March 2027 and be completed by July 2027. (Source: Canadian Solar) 

Nebius Group (Amsterdam-based) announced a 5-year AI infrastructure supply agreement with Meta. Under the agreement, the company will provide $12 billion of capacity across multiple locations, based on one of the first large-scale deployments of the NVIDIA Vera Rubin platform. Nebius will deliver this capacity starting early 2027. (Source: Nebius Group)

Sungrow has signed an agreement with ENEVO Group for a series of energy storage projects totaling a GWh of capacity in Romania. The 1st phase of the collaboration includes 440MWh of projects that are scheduled for delivery before December 2026. A subsequent phase adds another 560MWh. All systems will feature the company’s PowerTitan 2.0 BESS. (Source: Renewable Energy Magazine)

Google announced it will invest $1 billion within the next 2 years to expand its data center infrastructure in Lenoir, North Carolina. The Lenoir Google data center supports Google services including Maps, Photos, Search, Workspace, YouTube and more. (Source: City of Lenoir)

KKR, Allfleet India and PMI Electro Mobility announced the signing of definitive agreements under which KKR-managed funds will commit up to $310 million to form a strategic partnership with Allfleet and PMI Electro to help scale Allfleet’s electric bus platform. As part of the investment, KKR will acquire a majority stake in Allfleet and minority stake in PMI Electro. The transaction is expected to close in mid-2026. (Source: KKR & PMI)

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Electricity (OE) announced a $1.9 billion funding opportunity to accelerate upgrades to the nation’s power grid, selected through the “Speed to Power” through Accelerated Reconductoring and other Key Advanced Transmission Technology Upgrades (SPARK) funding opportunity. The SPARK opportunity builds on the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships program. Concept papers are due April 2, 2026, and full applications are due May 20, 2026. (Source: DOE)

Nuvve has extended its cooperation with OMNIA Global (Zug, Switzerland) to include a 60MW/120MWh BESS in Romania. This project, developed through SPV Braşov 60, brings the company’s announced European BESS capacity under the OMNIA Global partnership to over 150MW including 50MW in Sweden and 40MW in Austria. (Source: Nuvve Holding)

Simon Loos has ordered 75 Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 trucks, which will increase the number of electric trucks in its fleet to 210 – the largest in the Netherlands. The vehicles will be used in retail distribution. (Source: Simon Loos)

Enfinity Japan K.K. (subsidiary of Enfinity Global) has entered a partnership with Mitsubishi HC Capital Energy to develop, invest in, and operate BESS projects across Japan. Enfinity has a 17GW pipeline of BESS projects. (Source: Effinity)

POSCO Future M has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Sila for the joint development of battery materials. Under the MOU, POSCO Future M plans to advance battery material technology by combining its cathode and anode material capabilities with Sila’s silicon anode material technology. (Source: POSCO Future M)

POSCO Future M has signed an MOU with Molten Industries (U.S.-based) to jointly develop advanced battery materials. The company will process graphite produced by Molten through methane pyrolysis into spherical graphite, which will be used to manufacture natural graphite anodes at its plant in Sejong, near Seoul. (Source: Yonhap News Agency)

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity for up to $500 million to expand U.S. critical mineral and materials processing and derivative battery manufacturing and recycling. This is the 3rd round of funding issued through DOE’s Battery Materials Processing and Battery Manufacturing and Recycling programs. (Source: U.S. DOE)

Panasonic Holdings and Panasonic Solution Technologies, in collaboration with ITOCHU, will conduct a cybersecurity monitoring demonstration at a BESS facility in Japan under conditions representative of actual grid operations. The test will assess whether continuous monitoring of communications and system behavior under conditions representative of actual grid operations enables early detection of anomalies and accurate situational awareness. (Source: Panasonic)

Lyten has entered into a binding agreement to acquire Revolt (former Northvolt recycling site in Skellefteå, Sweden) including licenses to technology. The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed by any parties. (Source: Lyten)

Taizhou Zhongsheng Fiberglass has launched its “5-Level Thermal Management Matrix” with its Professional series that has passed the rigorous German DIN SPEC 91489 certification and EN 13501-1 fire classification testing. This is currently the world's most stringent test for suppressing lithium-ion vehicle fires. (Source: Taizhou Zhongsheng Glass Fiber Products)

UL Solutions announced certifications for products powered by artificial intelligence (AI) under its AI safety certification program. The certifications are the first evaluations completed globally under UL 3115, the Outline of Investigation for the Safety of AI-Based Products. They were awarded to the Qcells Energy Management System and the Omniconn Platform 4.0 smart building solution. (Source: UL)

Source: CRU Group

Executive Director's Notes

Advertisements and Announcements

The Department of War (DoW), with support from The University of Texas at Dallas BEACONS program, will host a virtual industry day from 1pm-3pm EST on March 24th to outline its implementation approach for FY26 NDAA Section 842. This event will communicate the Department’s initial strategy, highlight implementation challenges, and solicit feedback from industry partners. In addition to the question-and-answer session, attendees are encouraged to schedule private meetings with the DoW team to provide feedback or express concerns.

Please click here to register for the event, registration is required for attendance. Registrations must be completed at least one day before the event to ensure you receive the webinar join link in advance. After registering, you will automatically receive a confirmation email with the join link. Please check your spam folder. Please add the event to your personal calendar for easy access.

Additionally, please click here to submit any questions you may have prior to the event. This will help us address your questions during the session.

The DoW is eager to work closely with industry to secure defense battery supply chains.