Stellantis to source manganese for batteries from Western Australia
By Bradley Osborne - 24th January 2023
Netherlands / Australia – Stellantis NV, an automotive corporation based in Amsterdam, Netherlands, has signed an agreement with Element 25 Ltd of Osborne Park, Western Australia for the supply of high-purity manganese, which will be used in the manufacture of battery cells for Stellantis’ electric vehicles.
Element 25 has agreed to supply manganese sulphate monohydrate to Stellantis over five years, beginning in 2026 – providing a total of 45 kilotons, with options to extend the deal and expand the volume. The manganese oxide ore will be mined from Element 25’s wholly-owned Butcherbird Manganese Deposit, located in the southern Pilbara region of Western Australia. The oxide ore will then be shipped to a facility in the USA to be processed into high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate (or “szmikite”): this inorganic compound can be used in making the cathode of dry cells such as those in lithium-ion batteries for EVs.
