Supply Chain Ecosystem

Supply Chain Ecosystem

Stages of the Battery Supply Chain

1. Raw Material Extraction

Lithium: Australia, Chile
Cobalt: DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo)
Nickel: Indonesia, Philippines

2. Material Refining

Purifying ores and compounds
Mostly done in China (over 60% of global refining capacity)

3. Component Manufacturing

Electrode powders, separators, binders
Done in South Korea, Japan, China

4. Cell Manufacturing

Plants in China, South Korea, US, EU

5. Battery Packs & BMS Integration

Automotive OEMs or Tier 1 suppliers

6. End-of-Life and Recycling

Pyrometallurgy or hydrometallurgy
Companies: Redwood Materials, Li-Cycle

Challenges & Solutions

Challenge	Example	Mitigation
Geopolitical Risk	Cobalt from DRC	Use LFP or solid-state
ESG Concerns	Water use in lithium mining	Brine-free extraction
Supply Chain Delays	Vacuum sealing	Onshore manufacturing

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Case Study: Ford & Redwood Materials

Ford partners with Redwood to build a closed-loop battery supply chain in North America, reducing costs and reliance on imports.