Competition in the lithium battery anode material market has intensified. The data shows that in 2018, the top five anode material manufacturers in the world were Bertrand (China), Shanshan (China), Hitachi Chemical (Japan), Jiangxi Zijing (China), and Kaijin Energy (China). The total rate is about 66%. In fact, the industry concentration of domestic anode materials is higher.
The data shows that in 2018, China's lithium battery anode material output was 252,800 tons, of which the output of the first eight anode material companies was 188,700 tons, accounting for about 74% of China's anode material output; the first three productions accounted for 44.66% of the total output. From the perspective of shipments, Beatrice, Shanshan Co., Ltd., Jiangxi Zijing, Kaijin Energy, Xiangfenghua, Zhongke Electric, Jiangxi Zhengtuo, Shenzhen Snow, Shenzhen Jinrun, and Changsha Gejiu entered the top 10.
Statistics from the Research Department of the Power Battery Application Branch show that in June 2019, China ’s installed capacity of new energy vehicle power batteries was approximately 6.61GWh, a year-on-year increase of 130.82%. From January to June 2019, the installed capacity was 30.01GWh, a year-on-year increase of 94.29%. The large increase in the installed capacity of power batteries has driven the market demand for anode materials. Since the beginning of 2019, many domestic anode material manufacturers have expanded their production capacity.
In July, Zhongke Electric's fundraising overweight negative electrode material project was approved. The total amount of funds raised from the non-public offering of shares is expected to not exceed 530 million yuan. The net proceeds raised after deducting the issuance costs will be used for 15,000 tons of lithium battery anode materials, and 10,000 tons of graphitization processing construction projects, Zhongke Star City Lithium battery anode material R & D center upgrade project and supplementary working capital.
In May, Kaijin Energy intends to break through the GEM of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange again. Kaijin Energy intends to raise 2.5 billion yuan, of which 95% of the funds will be invested in 60,000 tons of high-performance lithium-ion battery anode materials and R & D center projects. The prospectus shows that the company's anode material shipments increased to 26,000 tons in 2018, and its market share increased to 13.54%.
In April, the first phase of 100,000 tons of lithium battery anode materials and supporting projects of Xingfeng New Energy was put into production in Inner Mongolia. The total investment of the project is 2 billion yuan, and the construction period is three years. It will be completed in September 2020. The project was started in March 2018, and the first-phase anode material purification production area with an annual output of 55,000 tons has been completed and is ready for production.
In March, Inner Mongolia Shanshan Technology Co., Ltd. resumed production of a 100,000 t / a lithium ion battery anode material project. The project is invested by Ningbo Shanshan Co., Ltd., with a total investment of 1.2 billion yuan and an area of 317 acres. After the project is completed and put into operation, it is expected to achieve an annual operating income of 1 billion yuan.
In February, Shehong County, Sichuan Province and Sichuan Frotti New Materials Co., Ltd. signed an investment agreement for the production of 20,000 tons of lithium battery graphite anode materials in Chengdu. The lithium battery graphite anode material production project has a total investment of 400 million yuan, a total land area of 120 acres, a construction period of 18 months, and an estimated annual output value of 1 billion yuan after completion.
On January 14, China Baoan issued an announcement saying that the company's subsidiary Huizhou Baterui plans to invest in the construction of a lithium-ion battery anode material project with an annual output of 40,000 tons in Huizhou, Guangdong, with a total planned investment of 777 million yuan. The project plans to construct a lithium ion battery anode material production line with an annual output of 40,000 tons in the Beiterui Industrial Park in Huizhou, Guangdong, with a capacity of 20,000 tons per phase.
On January 11th, Sichuan Jintaineng's 100,000 t / a lithium ion battery anode material production project (Phase 1) was put into production in Guangyuan. The total investment of the project is 1.7 billion yuan, and the investment in the first phase is 170 million yuan. It will form an annual production capacity of 10,000 tons of lithium ion battery anode materials. It is estimated that the annual output value will reach 300 million yuan in 2019. After the completion of the third phase, the annual output value will reach 5 billion yuan.
In addition, Jiangxi Zhengtuo currently has an annual production capacity of 12,000 tons of anode materials. In July this year, the expansion capacity will be put into production, and the company's anode material production capacity will reach 24,000 tons per year. By the end of 2018, Jiangxi Ziyan had formed an annual production capacity of 30,000 tons of anode materials. With the gradual commissioning of investment projects in 2019, the company will gradually reach an annual production capacity of anode materials of more than 50,000 tons.
Some agencies predict that by 2020, the global demand for power battery anode materials will be about 190,000 tons, with a compound growth rate of 22%. It is estimated that by 2020, the domestic demand for power batteries will be about 94GWh, and the corresponding demand for anode materials will be about 70,000 tons; by 2025, the domestic demand for power batteries will reach 310GWh, and the corresponding demand for anode materials will reach 190,000 tons.
In terms of technology, the current lithium battery anode materials are still mainly graphite, but according to Battery China.com, there are already many battery companies including Ningde Times, Guoxuan Hi-Tech, Lishen Battery, and Vision AESC. A breakthrough in high-nickel NCM811 / NCA battery technology has driven the application of silicon carbon anode materials. Bately, Shanshan, Jiangxi Zijing, Shenzhen Snow, Zhongke Electric, Jiangxi Zhengtuo, Chuangya Power, Dalian Lichang, etc. are all actively promoting the industrialization of silicon carbon anodes.