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.

New Members

NAATBatt welcomes Silver member Solstice Advanced Materials, a sustainability-focused specialty chemicals and materials business with leading positions across fluorine products, electronic materials, industrial-grade fibers, and healthcare packaging solutions. Learn more at http://solstice.com.

Member Press Releases

6K Energy and CRG Defense announced a 7-year collaboration to build a domestic battery supply chain for U.S. defense and other applications. The companies plan to domestically source cathode active materials for American-made battery cells and packs.

Click here for the full news release.

Community Pulse

Speed, Scale, and Strategy: What’s Driving This Week’s Community Conversations

This week’s NAATBatt communities spotlighted two forces reshaping the energy storage landscape: The rapid acceleration of data center infrastructure and the expanding role of advanced tools in market intelligence and business operations.

During the ESS & Data Center Community session, Ben Wrightsman of XC Tech outlined a dramatic shift in how data centers are designed and deployed. Development cycles that once took years are now measured in weeks - or even days- placing a premium on speed, modularity, and adaptability. With projected capital expenditures exceeding $690 billion by 2026, the sector is rivaling semiconductors and batteries in scale, while facing constraints driven largely by energy availability. Wrightsman noted a growing reliance on behind-the-meter power solutions and predicted high-voltage DC architecture will become the industry standard, with batteries playing a central role. At the same time, permitting challenges and community concerns around infrastructure are introducing new complexities to deployment.

In the Markets Community, Co-chair Josh McConkey highlighted major industry developments, including CATL’s planned expansion into sodium-ion batteries - positioning the chemistry as a viable complement to NMC and LFP technologies. He then addressed advanced AI applications - demonstrating how organizations can build custom GPT models to enhance business processes, underscoring the growing importance of secure, enterprise-level AI tools in today’s competitive landscape.

The most valuable insights do not happen in isolation. NAATBatt communities provide a collaborative environment to engage with peers, exchange perspectives, and help shape what comes next. Explore opportunities to participate by filling out NAATBatt's Community Sign-up Form. 

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

Beijing HyperStrong Technology (HyperStrong) and CATL have signed an agreement on sodium-ion batteries for energy storage, establishing a 3-year partnership totaling 60 GWh (gigawatt-hour). (Source: Hyperstrong) 

Google plans to invest up to $40 billion in Anthropic. The pact involves an initial $10 billion from Google at Anthropic’s latest valuation of $380 billion. The remaining $30 billion is contingent on certain performance milestones. (Source: CNBC)

EVelution Energy announced the signing of a binding 5-year offtake agreement with Mitsui valued at about $850 million. Under the terms of the agreement, EVelution Energy will supply Mitsui with up to 3,000 metric tons (contained cobalt) per year from its facility currently under development in Yuma County, Arizona. (Source: EVelution Energy)

Critical Metals has signed of a letter of intent to acquire all of the outstanding shares of European Lithium for approximately $835 million. (Source: Critical Metals) 

Saft and Genesis Energy have signed a 200MWh (megawatt-hour) extension that builds on a 100MW/200MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) at Huntly Power Station on New Zealand’s North Island. (Source: Saft)

Fortescue is planning to invest $680 million to develop the 200MW Pilbara Green Energy Project. The company will deliver an integrated, off-grid renewable energy system and battery storage and firming capability. The Project is anticipated to be completed by 2028, with a pathway to multi-gigawatt expansion beyond 2030. (Source: Fortescue)

ESS Tech (ESS) has signed a letter of intent for a partnership with Alsym Energy to add 8.5GWh of sodium ion cells and modules to its portfolio. (Source: ESS & Alsym)

CATL has signed a memorandum of understanding with Zinfra (Australian infrastructure service provider) to jointly deliver, operate and maintain BESS projects in Australia. CATL is planning to leverage Zinfra’s local channels and engineering delivery capabilities to strengthen the local O&M and service capacity. (Source: CnEVPost)

Metals Australia is planning to build a graphite refinery near Baie-Comeau, Quebec. The company's preliminary economic assessment shows the facility will process 75,000 tonnes of flake graphite concentrate annually, producing 51,000 tonnes of battery-grade graphite products over a 25-year operational period. (Source: Metals Australia)

Sonnedix has signed three Power Purchase Agreements with Copec EMOAC for its Sonnedix Librillo project, which consists of a 117MW BESS with a 5-hour capacity (643.8MWh per day). Commercial operation expected in April 2027. (Source: Sonnedix)

Automotive Energy Supply Corp (AESC), (China-based), has sold a majority stake of its U.S. battery plant to Fixx Energy, which signed a multiyear deal to supply Fluence Energy. (Source: Nikkei Asia)

Rivian and Caruso have expanded their partnership with a multi-year collaboration that includes over 150 public DC fast chargers to be rolled out across the Caruso portfolio of properties over the next year. (Source: Caruso)

6K Energy and CRG Defense announced a 7-year collaboration to build a domestic battery supply chain for U.S. defense and other applications. The companies plan to domestically source cathode active materials for American-made battery cells and packs. (Source: 6K Energy)

Walmart and ABB E-mobility announced the launch of ABB E-mobility’s ‘A400’ All-in-One fast chargers’ at 7 Walmart locations in the Phoenix area, which is slated to see 9 locations energized with a total of 38 chargers in the coming months. (Source: ABB)

A USGS assessment indicates the Appalachian region of the eastern U.S. contains an estimated 2.3 million metric tons of undiscovered, economically recoverable lithium -- enough to replace 328 years of U.S. imports at last year’s level. (Source: USGS)

Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt has acquired the remaining minority stake in Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe, taking its shareholding to 100% in a deal valued at $32 million. The consideration exceeded book value by $13 million highlighting a premium paid to consolidate control. (Source: Zimbabwe Independent)

Pantheon Atlas announced the development of Pantheon AI (a hyperscale AI data center) in Croatia, designed in accordance with NVIDIA GW-Scale AI factory standards, that will bring more than €50 billion ($59 billion) in total investment. The project will enable integration of up to 5.2GW of renewable energy onto Croatia’s grid. (Source: Pantheon Atlas)

SoftBank Group is planning to create and list an AI and robotics company called Roze in the U.S. that will be involved in building data centres. (Source: Reuters)

Carrier Ventures (venture group of Carrier Global) has expanded its investment in ZutaCore, a provider of direct-to-chip, waterless liquid cooling solutions. The move enhances a partnership to support AI data centers and the company’s strategy to deliver integrated solutions across the data center thermal lifecycle. (Source: Carrier)

KULR Technology Group (KULR) announced it received initial purchase orders totaling nearly $1.0 million for its KULR ONE Air® lithium-ion batteries from a U.S. defense technology company and manufacturer of unmanned aerial systems specializing in first-person view drones for military use. (Source: KULR)

DTE Energy announced that its electric company intends to forego rate increases for at least 2 years following its filing with the Michigan Public Service Commission (MSPC). DTE’s two data center contracts – one approved and one currently with the MPSC for approval – will contribute nearly $9 billion to improving DTE’s electric system through 2045, helping to reduce the total amount needed from other customers. (Source: DTE Energy)

O'Leary Digital has unveiled plans for a roughly 40,000-acre AI data center campus in Utah that would operate off the local power grid, with a potential capacity of up to 9GW. Starting at about 3GW, the facility's initial power capacity. A nearby natural gas pipeline would serve as the project's power source, sidestepping the grid-dependency. (Yahoo Finance)

MAN Truck & Bus with project partners from SPIRIT-E have demonstrated bidirectional charging under real-world conditions using a battery-electric MAN eTGX with 480kWh of usable energy. (Source: Man Truck & Bus)

Source: CRU Group

Executive Director's Notes

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