Webinar Overview

NAATBatt International, with the support of the U.S. Department of Energy, will host a webinar on Friday, April 16, 2021, highlighting what it will take to stand up a lithium-ion battery supply chain populated by world-class, competitive North American-focused companies. The program will be a Zoom webinar in six parts, the first starting at 9:15 a.m. EDT. See the Agenda page for a detailed look at the program.

The market for lithium-ion batteries is exploding worldwide. But North American-based companies are lagging behind. Today, Chinese companies produce almost 80% all lithium-ion battery cells made worldwide. As important Chinese companies refine the chemical feedstocks which account for more than 50% of the lithium, 30% of the nickel and 80% of the cobalt needed to make the lithium-ion batteries. Given that almost all forms of motive transportation in the 21st Century will heavily rely on lithium battery technology, dependence on Chinese supply is economically unwise and strategically hazardous.

The NAATBatt Developing a Supply Chain for Lithium-Ion Batteries in North America webinar will look at what North American companies are doing today to compete in the lithium-ion industry. The webinar will examine the competitive disadvantages these companies face versus their Asian rivals and will ask what the U.S. and Canadian governments might do to help level the playing field.

The webinar is organized in six segments, each focusing on a particular segment of the lithium-ion supply chain. Please note that each segment will have its own unique Zoom link.

• Segment #1 will discuss the manufacturing of lithium-ion battery cells in the United States and the prospects and barriers for North American-based companies wanting to enter this business.
• Segment #2 will cover the mining and production of raw energy materials in North America.
• Segment #3 will discuss the processing of raw energy materials, transforming them into the chemical feedstocks necessary to make cathode and anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.
• Segment #4 will cover the manufacture of cathode materials in the United States, an area where U.S. companies lag far behind Asian and European competitors.
• Segment #5 will discuss the recycling and reuse of lithium-ion batteries.
• Segment #6 will be an interactive roundtable discussion in which all attendees are invited to participate. The discussion will be divided into 6 break-out rooms, corresponding to the topics discussed in Segments #1-5 and a sixth room to discuss manufacturing batteries for military applications.

To conclude the discussion, Michael Berube, the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Energy for Transportation and David Howell, acting chair of the Federal Consortium for Advanced Batteries, will interview the six break-out room leaders of each of the rooms in order to get a sense of the industry as to the best way forward for the North American supply chain.

NAATBatt is also pleased to announce that Peter Harrell, Senior Director for International Economics and Competitiveness of the National Security Council will give a brief talk at the start of the Segment #6 roundtable discussion emphasizing the Biden Administration’s serious interest in the subject of this program.

Join the program on April 16 by completing the registration form. Registration is free for all NAATBatt members and $50 for all others.

Not yet a NAATBatt member? Learn about membership by clicking here.