The plant is an intelligent solution foroptimized precursor cathode active material production for lithium-ionbatteries.

Metso is launching the Metso pCAM plant, anintelligent Planet Positive-certified solution for the manufacturing ofprecursor cathode active material, which is needed in the production oflithium-ion batteries. Centred around an energy-efficient pCAM reactor,PSI® 1000 particle size analyzer and pCAM process control, Metso’s pCAMplant integrates advanced technology and decades of know-how to ensure anenergy-efficient and sustainable production process.

“The growing use of high-performancelithium-ion batteries with enhanced energy density, fast charging capabilities,and improved safety features is driving the demand for high-quality andsustainable precursor materials. As a strong and reliable partner for thedevelopment of lithium hydroxide and other battery minerals projects, we arethe first Western supplier able to also deliver an optimized pCAM plantfor the manufacturing of premium precursor cathode active material,” says MikkoRantaharju, Vice President, Hydrometallurgy at Metso.

For active cathode precursor manufacturing,Metso’s offering ranges from optimized raw materials selection to design anddelivery of the pCAM plant and related services. The production processconsists of metal sulfate feed preparation, co-precipitation of mixed metalhydroxide, and filtration.

The innovative design ofthe OKTOP® reactor used in the process enables high throughput with asmaller footprint for batch, semi-batch, and continuous operation with onereactor set-up, and improved yield thanks to advanced process control andon-line analyzers.

To support the customers in optimized rawmaterial selection and process design, Metso uses its own in-house pCAM processdevelopment, testing and pilot facilities. The Metso pCAM plants are PlanetPositive-certified, ensuring low energy and water consumption.

Mikko Rantaharju notes, “Based on Life CycleImpact Assessment (LCIA), we found that the Metso pCAM process featuresremarkable sustainability benefits – it reduced water consumption by ~52 percent, and CO₂ emissions by ~31 per cent. Also, power usage is decreasedby ~27 per cent.”