- Consecutive major contract wins reflect supply chain
premium and technology competitiveness
- New plant to be established in Vietnam to fulfill orders;
phased capacity expansion planned for additional orders
- Expanded production capacity and stronger cost
competitiveness expected to drive further global order growth
On
the 16th, POSCO Future M signed a large-scale, long-term supply agreement with
a global automaker to supply artificial graphite anode material.
The
contract, valued at approximately KRW 1.0149 trillion, covers five years from
2027 to 2032, with provisions for extension by mutual agreement. The customer’s
identity has been withheld until the conclusion of the contract for reasons of
business confidentiality.
This is the largest supply agreement POSCO Future M has secured since entering
the anode material business in 2011. The company currently supplies anode
material to domestic battery manufacturers and companies, including GM, and
previously signed a natural graphite anode material supply agreement with a
major Japanese battery manufacturer in July 2025, followed by another agreement
with a global automaker in October 2025 valued at approximately KRW 670
billion.
Having
secured consecutive major anode material orders, POSCO Future M has established
a solid foundation for sustained business growth by broadening its customer
base and improving profitability.
This
agreement complements the natural graphite anode material contract signed in
October of last year, and POSCO Future M plans to pursue further collaboration
with the same customer, extending into the cathode material and lithium
business segments.
To
fulfill this order, POSCO Future M has embarked on a phased expansion of its
anode material production capacity. On the 5th, the company approved an
investment of approximately KRW 357 billion to build a new plant for artificial
graphite anode material in Vietnam. With this supply agreement, the company has
secured the customer commitment underpinning its Phase 1 investment and plans
to proceed with a Phase 2 investment to accommodate additional order volumes.
Building
on its Vietnam investment, POSCO Future M is expected to expand its mass-production
base to supply cost- and quality-competitive products to customers and continue
growing its global order book.
This contract win is a testament to POSCO Future M’s supply chain solutions and
technological capabilities, which are fully equipped to navigate trade
regulations across major markets — achieved at a time when securing a stable
anode material supply chain has become a growing priority for the EV and energy
storage system (ESS) industries.
As
Korea’s only graphite-based anode material producer, POSCO Future M has been at
the forefront of supply chain stabilization for the domestic battery industry,
beginning with the localization of natural graphite anode material in 2011 and
the completion of its artificial graphite anode material plant in Pohang in
2021, thereby establishing a full-scale mass production system.
The
company has also been working toward full vertical integration of its supply
chain, spanning raw materials, intermediate inputs, and finished product
manufacturing. For artificial graphite anode material, coal-based and
petroleum-based coke derived from coal tar generated in POSCO’s steelmaking
process serves as the primary feedstock. For natural graphite anode material,
the company plans to establish a supply chain in which graphite ore is imported
from Africa and other regions through the POSCO Group, with intermediate
processing to be carried out at a spherical graphite plant currently being
developed at Saemangeum.
POSCO
Future M produces both natural and artificial graphite anode materials at
scale, tailored to customer requirements, and has built a broad product
portfolio by advancing the commercialization of silicon anode material for use
in all-solid-state batteries and other next-generation applications. The
company has earned broad recognition for its technological strengths through
continuous process innovation aimed at improving productivity.
Leveraging these supply chain solutions and technological capabilities, POSCO Future M is currently in supply discussions with numerous customers in Korea, North America, and the EU for both cathode and anode materials. The company is committed to continuously strengthening its business competitiveness and expanding its sales, aiming to go beyond its standing as Korea’s only producer of both cathode and anode materials and emerge as a top-tier global battery materials player.
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(Photo caption) Production line at POSCO Future M’s artificial graphite anode material plant in Pohang
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(Photo caption) Production line at POSCO Future M’s artificial graphite anode material plant in Pohang