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Visualizing China’s Dominance in Battery Manufacturing (2022-2027P)

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battery manufacturing capacity by country infographic

Visualizing China’s Dominance in Battery Manufacturing

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With the world gearing up for the electric vehicle era, battery manufacturing has become a priority for many nations, including the United States.

However, having entered the race for batteries early, China is far and away in the lead.

Using the data and projections behind BloombergNEF’s lithium-ion supply chain rankings, this infographic visualizes battery manufacturing capacity by country in 2022 and 2027p, highlighting the extent of China’s battery dominance.

Battery Manufacturing Capacity by Country in 2022

In 2022, China had more battery production capacity than the rest of the world combined.

RankCountry2022 Battery Cell
Manufacturing Capacity, GWh
% of Total
#1 🇨🇳 China89377%
#2🇵🇱 Poland736%
#3🇺🇸 U.S.706%
#4🇭🇺 Hungary383%
#5🇩🇪 Germany313%
#6🇸🇪 Sweden161%
#7🇰🇷 South Korea151%
#8🇯🇵 Japan121%
#9🇫🇷 France61%
#10🇮🇳 India30.2%
🌍 Other71%
Total1,163100%

With nearly 900 gigawatt-hours of manufacturing capacity or 77% of the global total, China is home to six of the world’s 10 biggest battery makers. Behind China’s battery dominance is its vertical integration across the rest of the EV supply chain, from mining the metals to producing the EVs. It’s also the largest EV market, accounting for 52% of global sales in 2021.

Poland ranks second with less than one-tenth of China’s capacity. In addition, it hosts LG Energy Solution’s Wroclaw gigafactory, the largest of its kind in Europe and one of the largest in the world. Overall, European countries (including non-EU members) made up just 14% of global battery manufacturing capacity in 2022.

Although it lives in China’s shadow when it comes to batteries, the U.S. is also among the world’s lithium-ion powerhouses. As of 2022, it had eight major operational battery factories, concentrated in the Midwest and the South.

China’s Near-Monopoly Continues Through 2027

Global lithium-ion manufacturing capacity is projected to increase eightfold in the next five years. Here are the top 10 countries by projected battery production capacity in 2027:

RankCountry2027P Battery Cell
Manufacturing Capacity, GWh
% of Total
#1🇨🇳 China6,19769%
#2🇺🇸 U.S.90810%
#3🇩🇪 Germany5036%
#4🇭🇺 Hungary1942%
#5🇸🇪 Sweden1352%
#6🇵🇱 Poland1121%
#7🇨🇦 Canada1061%
#8🇪🇸 Spain981%
#9🇫🇷 France891%
#10 🇲🇽 Mexico801%
🌍 Other5236%
Total8,945100%

China’s well-established advantage is set to continue through 2027, with 69% of the world’s battery manufacturing capacity.

Meanwhile, the U.S. is projected to increase its capacity by more than 10-fold in the next five years. EV tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act are likely to incentivize battery manufacturing by rewarding EVs made with domestic materials. Alongside Ford and General Motors, Asian companies including Toyota, SK Innovation, and LG Energy Solution have all announced investments in U.S. battery manufacturing in recent months.

Europe will host six of the projected top 10 countries for battery production in 2027. Europe’s current and future battery plants come from a mix of domestic and foreign firms, including Germany’s Volkswagen, China’s CATL, and South Korea’s SK Innovation.

Can Countries Cut Ties With China?

Regardless of the growth in North America and Europe, China’s dominance is unmatched.

Battery manufacturing is just one piece of the puzzle, albeit a major one. Most of the parts and metals that make up a battery—like battery-grade lithium, electrolytes, separators, cathodes, and anodes—are primarily made in China.

Therefore, combating China’s dominance will be expensive. According to Bloomberg, the U.S. and Europe will have to invest $87 billion and $102 billion, respectively, to meet domestic battery demand with fully local supply chains by 2030.

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Energy

The Global Uranium Market in 3 Charts 

Four countries account for over 70% of global uranium production.

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Uranium is in high demand, thanks to its role in clean energy transition. In this graphic, we delve into three crucial aspects shaping the global uranium landscape.

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The following content is sponsored by Sprott

The Global Uranium Market in 3 Charts

The uranium market is experiencing increased demand, driven by its integral role in clean energy generation through its use in nuclear power.

In this graphic, our sponsor Sprott explores three pivotal areas shaping the global uranium landscape. 

Uranium Demand 

With 436 operational nuclear reactors worldwide and 173 more in the pipeline, the demand for uranium is on the rise. 

The United States, China, and France collectively represent approximately 58% of the global uranium demand.

Despite its relative abundance, the looming scarcity of supply poses a significant challenge.

The Uranium Supply Gap 

Forecasts project a persistent supply-demand imbalance for uranium, with an anticipated cumulative gap of approximately 680,000 metric tons by 2040.

Meanwhile, the existing supply gap is expected to intensify, signifying a prolonged shortage in the market.

Millions of U3O8 lbs ProductionDemandGap
202212919465
2023P14219553
2024P16019636
2025P17219826
2026P18420824
2027P18821325
2028P18921728
2029P19022131
2030P18522338
2031P17422652
2032P15823577
2033P15424288
2034P15024999
2035P139253114
2036P135255120
2037P118257139
2038P114260146
2039P108269161
2040P106270164

To bridge the immediate supply deficit, reactivating dormant mines becomes crucial, considering the extensive timeline of 10-15 years for new mines to become operational.

Uranium Producers

In 2022, Kazakhstan, Canada, Namibia, and Australia were responsible for over 70% of the global uranium production.

However, recent geopolitical developments threaten disruptions in the uranium supply chain, including:

  • Potential sanctions on Russian uranium and related services.
  • Risks of supply interruptions in Kazakhstan due to transportation routes passing through Russia.
  • Halts in uranium exports from Niger following government coups.

Despite these risks, the demand for uranium in nuclear reactors is projected to escalate over the next decade, increasing by 28% by 2030 and anticipated to nearly double by 2040.

The surge will be driven by governments scaling up nuclear power capacity to achieve zero-carbon targets.

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Explore Sprott’s range of uranium investments, including physical uranium and uranium-mining equities.

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