NAATBatt 2026 Starts Soon. NAATBatt International will hold its 17th annual meeting and conference on February 9-12, 2026 at the JW Tucson Starr Pass hotel in Tucson, Arizona. The program will feature annual reports by NAATBatt's Chief Science Officer and Chief Technology Officer, market reports on multiple sectors of the advanced battery market delivered by leading consulting and media firms, in-person meetings of all 18 NAATBatt industry committees, and the famous Member Update Presentations by most of NAATBatt's 380 member firms.

The NAATBatt annual meeting starts 9 days earlier than last year. So you may not have as much time as you think to register. Act soon.

Key Deadlines are Fast Approaching. Keep the following dates in mind:

January 12, 2026 is the deadline to nominate individuals to serve as the Silver and Gold member representatives to the NAATBatt Board of Directors. To make a nomination, e-mail Jim Greenberger with the name and company of the nominee and include "2026 [Gold or Silver] Member Nomination" in the subject line.

January 19, 2026 is the deadline to make a reservation in the NAATBatt room block at the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort. Rooms may be available after January 19. But they will be more expensive and less convenient to the meeting. Make your room reservation now by clicking here.

January 20, 2026 is the deadline to request a Member Update Presentation speaking slot at NAATBatt 2026. The Member Update Presentations are the highlight of the NAATBatt annual meeting. Every member company is encouraged to make a short presentation describing its most exciting products and services. There is no better way to get visibility and no better way to find suppliers and customers than to give and listen to the Member Update Presentation talks at the NAATBatt annual meeting. But you must register by January 20, 2026 to be guaranteed a speaking time.

January 30, 2026 is the deadline for speakers to upload their PowerPoint presentations to be used at NAATBatt 2026. Instructions to all speakers and Member Update Presentation presenters will follow soon by e-mail.

And don't miss the networking and social activities at NAATBatt 2026. This year NAATBatt is bringing back the clay shooting competition to accompany the annual golf tournament. The meals, networking breaks, exhibit floor, spouses and companions program and other activities are all designed to make it easy to meet who you want to meet in the industry and to form good personal as well as business relationships.

The NAATBatt annual meeting is where business relationships get made and business deals get done. If you work in the North American advanced battery industry, don't miss NAATBatt 2026.

For more information and to register, go to: https://nac.naatbatt.org/nac2026 .

NAATBatt recently formed its 18th discussion committee: the ESS and Data Center Committee. This committee will focus on the use of battery technology in all aspects of high capacity stationary energy storage, both in front and behind the meter. The market, technology and regulatory issues facing ESS developers will be discussed and studied. The committee will focus in particular on the energy storage needs and challenges of the rapidly growing hyperscale data center market. The new committee will be co-Chaired by Paul Charles of Charles and Associates and Michael Euripides of SIMBA Chain. Sign up for this committee, and any other NAATBatt discussion committees, at https://naatbatt.org/join-a-committee/. There is no cost and no commitment to signing up for NAATBatt committees. You will only get technology smarter and business wiser by participating in their discussions. NAATBatt discussion committees are the advanced battery industry's "water cooler".

On September 29, 2025, the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR; formerly NREL) released the latest update of the NAATBatt Lithium-Ion Battery Supply Chain Database. This newly enhanced edition marks a significant upgrade from the February 17, 2025 version, now tracking 1,178 facilities and 1,022 companies across North America. Developed in collaboration with Avicenne Energy US, the database introduces several powerful new features, including real-time production data, detailed construction timelines, and expanded coverage across the upstream, midstream, downstream, and recycling sectors of the battery supply chain. It is accessible via an online interface or as an Excel download, allowing for easy integration into strategic planning processes.

Originally launched in 2021, the database remains the most comprehensive directory of North American companies involved in lithium-based battery manufacturing. It categorizes companies by product line and includes any firm that supplies goods or services used in the production of lithium-ion batteries. As of the February 2025 update, the database also includes professional service providers—such as law firms, consultants, accountants, HR specialists, and financial services firms—provided they are NAATBatt International members and serve clients in the battery industry. The database is updated twice a year. Companies not listed can submit their information via the online questionnaire. Corrections or feedback can be sent to LIB.SupplyChain@nrel.gov.

If your company is a NAATBatt member and would like to be included in the database, click here to submit your request to NLR. Please include your company name, name of the principal contact at your company, contact's e-mail address and phone number, type of professional service offered, and principal business address.

Exciting news! NAATBatt’s new website will be launching soon. The new website will, among other things, provide an exclusive portal with links to special resources for employees of NAATBatt member firms. Registration by those employees will be necessary to access the private portion of the new website. So please keep an eye on this newsletter and NAATBatt's LinkedIn posts for the official launch date and details on how members can access the new member portal. NAATBatt 2026 will include a short tutorial about how to navigate in the new portal.

Reignite Your Engagement and Supplement Your Knowledge: Join a NAATBatt Committee Now!

Serving on a NAATBatt committee is one of the most impactful ways to contribute to the growth of the advanced battery industry while deepening your own professional development. Whether you are interested in policy, safety, workforce, recycling, or other key segments of the industry, NAATBatt's 18 active discussion committees offer a front-row seat to important industry developments and initiatives that will shape the future of battery technology and energy storage.

Joining a committee opens doors to meaningful networking and collaboration with peers, potential customers, and thought leaders across the battery ecosystem. You will gain early insights into industry trends, help guide programming and reports, and contribute to shaping NAATBatt’s direction. It is a rewarding way to engage with new and old colleagues and to make a tangible impact in the battery industry.

Find your fit - view NAATBatt's active discussion committees and join one or more of them today: https://naatbatt.org/join-a-committee/. If your employer is a NAATBatt member, there is no cost to join.

Upcoming Meetings:

• January 13, 8:00 a.m. PT | 11:00 a.m. ET – Battery Recycling Committee
• January 14, 10:30 a.m. PT | 1:30 p.m. ET – Energy Materials Committee
• January 15, 8:00 a.m. PT | 11:00 a.m. ET – Military Batteries Committee 
• January 15, 11:30 a.m. PT | 2:30 p.m. ET – Cybersecurity Committee
• January 15, 1:00 p.m. PT | 4:00 p.m. ET – Battery Safety Committee
• January 22, 11:00 a.m. PT | 2:00 p.m. ET – Workforce Development (Education) Committee
• January 23, 10:00 a.m. PT | 1:00 p.m. ET – Battery Finance Committee

New Members

NAATBatt welcomes Silver member Ultra Clean Holdings, Inc., Quantum Global Technologies dba ChemTrace. ChemTrace is an ISO/IEC 17025–accredited, globally recognized analytical laboratory specializing in trace-level impurity analysis, including metals, ions, organics, and particles. With more than 30 years of operation, ChemTrace is recognized as a leading expert in micro-contamination for the semiconductor industry. Its capabilities span water, chemicals, air, parts, wafers, production materials, and cleanroom consumables. Learn more at https://www.uct.com/services/chemtrace/default.aspx.

NAATBatt welcomes Silver member Positive Materials Inc., a private Canadian company developing a globally cost-competitive ternary precursor cathode active materials (pCAM) facility in Belledune, New Brunswick. The project is at an advanced stage of engineering and permitting and will operate under a toll processing business model using commercially-proven, sustainable technology. Initial production is targeted for 2029 at 30,000 tonnes per annum (tpa), scaling to 120,000 tpa by 2032. Learn more at https://www.posmat.ca.

NAATBatt welcomes Silver member Simco-Ion Technology Group. For more than 40 years, Simco-Ion has been a leading provider of solutions for static charge control in life sciences, general electronics, and critical-environment applications. Its portfolio includes ionizing bars, ionizing blowers, in-line ionizing products with balance control as low as ±1 V, Novx real-time monitors, and ESD event detection, helping improve yields in disk drive, electronics (general and military), life sciences, and semiconductor manufacturing. Learn more at https://simco-ion.com/technology

Member Press Releases

Blue Solutions, a subsidiary of the Bolloré Group, demonstrated the advantages of its GEN4 lithium-metal battery technology by achieving 68.8% more autonomy with an electric two-wheeler.

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.

Committee Pulse

Utility-Scale Energy Storage Insights from the Zinc Battery Committee

The December meeting of the Zinc Battery Committee featured a timely and informative presentation from Michelle Barsukov, Senior Staff Engineer for Energy Storage at Invenergy. Barsukov provided an inside look at how one of the world’s leading privately held developers approaches utility-scale energy storage, with insights that resonated across both incumbent and emerging technologies.

Barsukov began by outlining Invenergy’s role in developing, owning, and operating large-scale power plants worldwide, including a growing portfolio of energy storage projects. She highlighted several flagship projects - such as Grand Ridge, Arizona Sun, and Paris (Wisconsin) - as examples of how storage is increasingly integrated into utility-scale generation strategies.

A significant portion of the discussion focused on Invenergy’s procurement and evaluation process for energy storage systems. Key decision factors include technology performance, safety, cost, bankability, supply chain resilience, and long-term operational reliability. Barsukov emphasized the importance of rigorous due diligence, performance guarantees, and long-term service agreements, noting that while emerging technologies are of interest, they must meet clear technical and commercial benchmarks to be viable at scale.

The conversation also explored long-duration energy storage (LDES), which Barsukov defined as systems capable of eight hours or more of charge and discharge - spanning intraday (8–24 hours) and interday (24+ hours) applications. She noted that demand for LDES is often policy-driven, particularly in states with targeted procurement goals. While lithium-ion solutions typically serve up to eight hours, companies developing longer-duration technologies are gaining attention, especially for wind co-location and gas peaker replacement. Interest is also emerging around storage solutions for data centers, though most projects remain front-of-the-meter.

If you are interested in zinc energy storage technologies, we invite you to join the Zinc Battery Committee. Participation is open to NAATBatt members and provides access to expert discussions, market insights, and opportunities to shape the future of this facet of the industry. To get involved, visit https://naatbatt.org/join-a-committee/ and select the Zinc Battery Committee.

Li-Bridge Corner

Li-Bridge looks forward to an active 2026, with more to come on administration and industry priorities in the coming weeks.

Advanced Battery Industry News

Xusheng Group has received a letter of nomination worth CNY7.8 billion ($1.1 billion) from a North American new energy vehicle (EV) manufacturer. The company will supply car parts including powertrain components, body parts, subframes and battery housings. Production is slated to start for the 8-year project at the end of this year at its plants in Mexico and China. (Source: Yicai Global) 

Capchem Technology is planning to invest $260 million to build a lithium-ion (li-ion) battery electrolyte solvent plant in Saudi Arabia and up to CNY200 million ($29 million) to increase production capacity at its facility in Poland. The Saudi factory will be located in the Yanbu Heavy Industrial Park and will have production lines making 200,000 tons of carbonate solvents and 100,000 tons of ethylene glycol a year. Carbonate solvents are the core component of lithium-ion battery electrolytes, while ethylene glycols are a key upstream raw material to produce carbonate solvents. (Source: Yicai Global)

Honda Motor and Princeton NuEnergy (PNE) announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on collaboration around li-ion battery recycling technologies. The MOU outlines a framework on collaborative validation projects and the potential for commercial-scale applications. (Source: PNE) 

ContourGlobal has commissioned a 202MW/500MWh (megawatt-hour) battery energy storage system (BESS) in the Stara Zagora region in Bulgaria. (Source: ContourGlobal) 

SolarMax Renewable Energy Provider (subsidiary of SolarMax Technology) has entered into two engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) agreements valued at $158.3 million with Yabucoa BESS and Naguabo BESS for 400MWh (megawatt-hour) of projects located in Puerto Rico. In connection with the transactions, the company is purchasing a 9% equity interest in each project entity. (Source: SolarMax)

Kyuden International (member of Kyuden Group (Japan-based)) announced its investment in two 100MW/200MWh BESS in Texas, owned by Spearmint Energy. (Source: Kyuden & Spearmint Energy)

Nuvve Japan announced it has secured the rights to install and operate a 2MW/8MWh grid-scale BESS in Oyada, Mino City, Gifu Prefecture with operation scheduled to commence this November 2026. (Source: Nuvve) 

Iberdrola has installed 500 charging points at Airbus production centres in Spain. (Source: Iberdrola)

Sony Honda Mobility (joint venture between Sony Group and Honda Motor) unveiled a prototype of its 2nd Afeela EV model. The JV aims to start delivering an SUV-like Afeela model based on the prototype to U.S. customers as early as 2028. (Source: The Japan Times)

xAI is investing over $20 billion to locate its ‘MACROHARDRR’ datacenter in Southaven that is in proximity to its newly acquired powerplant site. The company expects to begin data center operations in next month. (Source: State of Mississippi)

Meta (parent company of Facebook) announced agreements with TerraPower, Oklo, and Vistra to supply nuclear power for its Prometheus AI data center under construction in New Albany, Ohio, securing enough energy to power the equivalent of about 5 million homes. Prometheus, a 1-gigawatt cluster spanning multiple data center buildings, is expected to come online this year. (Source: AP)

Clarios announced steps in its sodium-ion strategy including an expanded partnership with Altris underpinned by a Joint Development Agreement focused on the Power Sodium platform. The strategy includes (i) increased equity investment in Altris; (ii) collaboration with InoBat for prototype cell assembly: and, (iii) serial production targeted by the end of the decade at a dedicated European or US facility equipped for scalable manufacturing. (Source: Clarios)

The BENTELER Group (Germany-based) is acquiring ioki GmbH from Deutsche Bahn AG. With the acquisition, HOLON, ioki, and Benteler Mobility form a European full-service provider for autonomous mobility. HOLON manufactures the autonomous HOLON urban shuttle; ioki contributes platform and routing technology for on-demand services and public-transport integration; and Benteler Mobility provides operational services and financing for autonomous fleets. (Source: Benteler Group)

China has banned exports of dual-use items to Japan that can be used for military purposes. Dual-use items are goods, software or technologies that have both civilian and military applications, including certain rare earth elements that are essential for making drones and chips. (Source: CNBC/Reuters)

Coulomb Solutions (CSI) announced that it has supplied Critical Loop its 2.33MWh mobile BESS with an integral 1MW inverter to put into Critical Loop's portfolio of mobile BESS units. (Source: CSI)

Intrepid Potash, Aquatech International and Adionics have completed test work to produce a battery-grade lithium carbonate from byproduct brine from the lithium development project in Wendover, Utah. The results achieved a lithium extraction rate of 92.9%, producing an overall lithium chloride purity above 99.5%. (Source: Aquatech)

GM will record about $6 billion in EV-related charges tied to reduced production and supplier contract settlements. The company will maintain its current EV lineup but continue adjusting production and investments to match market conditions. (Source: CBT News)

Stellantis has shut its Cassino plant in Italy and delayed its Alfa Romeo and Maserati EVs. (Source: Autoblog) 

Energy Vault has commenced construction of the 150MW/300MWh SOSA Energy Center BESS in Texas. The project, originally developed by Savion (subsidiary of Shell) was formally acquired by the company 4Q25 under its Asset Vault platform and is expected to achieve commercial operation by 2Q27. (Source: Energy Vault) 

Oil India has signed a Deed of Agreement for the Composite Licence of the Phop Graphite & Vanadium block at Yazali circle in Arunachal Pradesh. Under the agreement, the Centre of Earth Science and Himalayan Studies will join the project as a local partner with a 10% stake. (Source: The Sentinel)

Blue Solutions (subsidiary of the Bolloré Group) demonstrated the advantages of its GEN4 lithium-metal battery technology by achieving 68.8% more autonomy with an electric two-wheeler. (Source: Blue Solutions)

Gratomic announced that it received notification from the Namibian Ministry of Mines and Energy confirming its preparedness to renew Mining Licence ML215 for an additional 15-year term effective through March 2040. (Source: Gratomic)

Executive Director's Notes

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