NAATBatt 2026 Recycling & Lifecycle Management Workshop

Registration for the Workshop is OPEN! Click here for more information and to register. 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.

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 sponsor and 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, 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.

ALERT: UPDATED DATABASE RELEASED!

NAATBatt Lithium-Ion Battery Supply Chain Database

Since 2021, NAATBatt has retained the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) (formerly the National Renewable Energy Laboratory), to produce a comprehensive database of all companies in North America active in the lithium-ion battery supply chain. The database can be accessed by clicking here: NLR/NAATBatt Lithium-Ion Battery Supply Chain.

NAATBatt membership dues pay for the database. As a public service, NAATBatt makes the database available to all users. The database is a public resource intended to make doing business in the North American lithium-ion supply chain easier and more efficient. Thanks to all NAATBatt members for doing their part to make this available to everyone!

Under its contract with NAATBatt, NLR, with the assistance of Avicenne Energy, updates the database every six months. Updates identify new companies active in the lithium-ion market and reflect changes in the industry. NLR released the latest update on April 1, 2026.

The updated database now identifies more than 1,000 companies and more than 1,200 facilities involved in manufacturing, supplying, designing or supporting lithium-ion battery technology in North America. It includes companies involved in mining, material processing, electrode/cell/pack manufacturing, cell component production, recycling/repurposing, and supporting infrastructure such as equipment makers, R&D startups, services, consulting, product distributors, and professional services.

Access the database now to make use of this resource. If your company or facility is not listed but should be, complete the online questionnaire to be include in the next update. Companies are encouraged to review the database and send any corrections to LIB.SupplyChain@nlr.gov.

New NAATBatt Website

Check-out NAATBatt’s new website! 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.

Click here for a list of upcoming meetings.

Community Pulse

LFP Technology Takes Center Stage

The NAATBatt Electrode Materials Community convened earlier this month to explore the accelerating role of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) technology in North America’s battery ecosystem. With insights from three industry leaders, the discussion highlighted how innovation, scaling, and collaboration are shaping the future of LFP.

Nikita Hall of Entalpic opened with a look at AI-driven materials discovery. Her team combines physics-based generative AI, computational chemistry, and high-throughput experimentation to identify promising cathode materials. Their platform enables rapid screening of elements and dopants, accelerating innovation in LFP chemistry.

Jin Lim of Act-ion shared progress on a continuous production process for single-crystal coated cathode materials. With a pilot facility in Texas slated for completion by mid-2026, Act-ion aims to produce up to 100 tons annually. AI is central to their approach, streamlining engineering and procurement while reducing costs and timelines.

Andrew Muckstadt of Nano One Materials Corp. highlighted a one-pot manufacturing process designed to reduce waste and strengthen domestic supply chains. With facilities in Canada and plans for large-scale expansion, Nano One is focused on building capacity independent of overseas inputs.

A broader discussion underscored the challenges of scaling LFP in North America, including supply chain coordination, cost competitiveness, and the need for industry-wide collaboration. Ongoing market research will further inform strategy. As LFP demand grows, the path forward will depend on aligning innovation with infrastructure to build a resilient, competitive supply chain.

The future of electrode materials is being built through discussions like these – make sure your voice is part of it. Join the Electrode Materials Community.

Li-Bridge Corner

Li-Bridge Spring Update — Monday, May 11, 1 PM ET

The Li-Bridge Spring Update will take place on May 11, 2026. We invite all interested participants to join representatives from the Federal Consortium for Advanced Batteries (FCAB) for the latest updates on advanced battery supply chain programs and policies across federal agencies.

As always, the session will include dedicated time for Q&A to address industry questions and feedback. If there are specific topics you would like covered, or if you would like to be added to the invitation list, please contact Dave at David.Roberts@libridge.org.

Advanced Battery Industry News

Samsung SDI signed a multi-year agreement with Mercedes-Benz to supply high-nickel NCM (nickel, cobalt and manganese) batteries for electric vehicles (EVs). In addition, the companies plan to broaden cooperation in mobility, including joint development of battery technology. (Source: Samsung SDI)

Siemens and Vulcan Energy signed an agreement for the Lionheart lithium and renewable energy project in Germany that is targeting production capacity of 24,000 tons of lithium hydroxide monohydrate with a co-product of 275GWh (gigawatt-hours) of renewable power and 560GWh of heat annually over an est. 30-year project life. The companies have also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), making Siemens a preferred supplier of automation and digitalization technology until 2035. (Source: Siemens)

Allianz Global Investors (AllianzGI) announced it has acquired a 51% stake in Green Energy Storage Initiative (Germany-based), which is developing three battery storage projects across Bavaria and Lower Saxony, with an aggregate grid connection capacity of around 2.6 GW. Commissioning of the projects is scheduled by 2029. (Source: AllianzGI)

Bobwhite Energy Storage (affiliate of Tenaska) has signed a 20-year energy storage agreement with Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) for a 225MW/900MWh (megawatt-hour) project in East Tennessee. The $300 million Bobwhite project is expected to start construction in 2027 and come online in late 2029. (Source: Tenaska)

Plus Power and the TVA announced a 20-year energy storage agreement to add 200MW/800MWh of battery energy storage to the Tennessee Valley. Under the agreement, TVA will charge and dispatch energy from the battery system based on system needs, while Plus Power's Crawfish Creek Energy Storage project retains ownership of the facility. (Source: Plus Power)

TotalEnergies has secured financing for the Mirny onshore wind and BESS project in Kazakhstan, which consists of a GW onshore wind farm and a 600MWh BESS supplied by Saft. The project will reach full capacity in 2029. The project’s investment amounts to $1.2 billion, with about 75% externally financed. (Source: TotalEnergies)

Argentina Lithium & Energy has entered into a non-binding Heads of Terms and Framework Agreement with Xi’an Lanshen New Material Technology that provides for the technical advancement, financing, and potential development of its Rincon West Lithium Brine Project in Argentina. Under the agreement, Lanshen will be granted the right to earn up to a 30% equity interest in subsidiary, Argentina Litio y Energia S.A., through staged contributions worth up to $100 million. (Source: Argentina Lithium)

Amazon Relay is adding 75 electric trucks from Einride (Sweden-based) to support its middle-mile network. Einride’s ‘Saga AI’ optimization software is also being used to manage EV execution of select Amazon loads, including charging planning. (Source: CNBC)

EMNI (South Korea-based) announced it has signed a lithium-ion cell supply contract worth $653,453 with ADVANTEX Battery (India-based). Under the agreement, EMNI will supply 457,600 cylindrical cells over 4 months from May to August. (Source: Shanghai Metals Market)

EcoGraf has signed a non-binding MOU with Mitsubishi Chemical to explore supplying natural flake graphite, unpurified spherical graphite (SpG) and purified SpG for Mitsubishi’s battery anode material operations. The MOU provides that Mitsubishi will consider a product sales arrangement for 10,000 tonnes per annum of unpurified and/or purified SpG, or approximately 16,500 tonnes per annum of –100 mesh natural flake graphite. (Source: EcoGraf)

Lydian Energy, an independent power producer (IPP) in the development, construction, and operation of power infrastructure projects, announced it has acquired Hanwha Renewables’ approximately 1.5GW solar/BESS Atlas North portfolio (450MW/1,800MWh) consisting of four projects. (Source: Lydian)

HD Renewable Energy (HDRE), (Taiwan-based) announced a collaboration with Tokyo Gas. The partnership includes both operational service agreements and offtake arrangements across multiple battery energy storage system (BESS) projects, with a total collaboration scale of approximately 340MW. (Source: HDRE)

Noveria Energy (Germany-based) announced it has signed the grid connection construction agreement with transmission system operator TenneT Germany for a 250MW BESS project in Niedersachsen, Germany connecting in early 2028. (Source: Noveria Energy)

Pacific Energy has been contracted to deliver a 33.5MW/81MWh of BESS for Territory Generation, a government-owned utility in Australia’s Northern Territory. Narada (China-based) will supply its battery technology for the project, while ABB will deliver the inverters. Both facilities are planned to be commissioned progressively from 2028. (Source: Pacific Energy)

CATL has unveiled an EV battery with driving range of up to 1,500 kilometres (932 miles) and the 3rd generation of its Shenxing Superfast Charging Battery that can charge to 90% (from 10%) in 6 minutes and 27 seconds. (Source: The Driven)

Turbo Energy S.A. announced a partnership with Hithium to integrate its AI-driven optimization platform into their battery systems across Europe and Latin America. (Source: Turbo Energy S.A.)

M2i Global (M2i), Volato Group and Regenerate Technology Global announced a partnership to advance battery recycling technologies to the U.S. (Source: M2i)

Albany Graphite (Zentek subsidiary) has executed an agreement with American Energy Technologies Co. to manufacture certified graphite samples and deliver the process engineering inputs for the Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) of the Albany Graphite Project, currently being prepared by Micon International. (Source: Zentek)

Mangrove Lithium announced the opening of its commercial lithium refining facility in Delta, British Columbia that has a 1,000 tonne-per-year (1 ktpa) capacity. (Source: Mangrove Lithium)

US Strategic Metals (USSM) announced the signing of an MOU with Virtus Minerals to produce cobalt products from the Virtus Chemaf asset to the U.S. for sale to USSM as the preferred U.S. downstream customer at its Fredericktown, Mo. multi-metallic hydrometallurgical facility. (Source: USSM)

Sow Good (Texas-based) will acquire the Tanzanian subsidiaries of Ryzon Materials, which together hold the Nachu Graphite Project located in the Ruangwa District, Lindi Region of Southern Tanzania. The company intends to operate as a minerals developer and battery anode materials company, with its current consumer products business continuing as a separate segment. (Source: Sow Good)

Prime Group's digital infrastructure division announced the deployment of edge data centers and BESS across properties within its nationwide portfolio. Enabled by technology from Microsoft and Qcells (Hanwha subsidiary) along with TransGrid Energy (Hanwha affiliate), the company is leveraging its real estate footprint in urban and suburban markets representing approximately 95% of the U.S. population. (Source: Hanwha)

Premier Graphene along with its Mexican affiliate, HGI, have secured a contract with the Dirección General de Fábrica de Vestuario y Equipo, a division of Mexico’s Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional. (Source: Premier Graphene)

Forge Nano and Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners II Co. will merge, resulting in Forge Nano becoming a publicly listed company. The Transaction values Forge Nano at approximately $1.2 billion on a pre-money, pre-merger basis. (Source: Forge Nano)

Electra Vehicles (Electra) will merge with Iron Horse Acquisition II (Iron Horse) to create an AI Battery Intelligence company. The deal is valued at $250 million+ and upon closing (expected in 2H26), the combined company will operate as Electra AI. (Source: Electra)

Scientists at the University of Stuttgart have achieved an efficiency of 95% for stationary wireless power transfer systems and over 90% for moving objects. (Source: University of Stuttgart)

Source: CRU Group

Executive Director's Notes

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