The Missing Middle Link
Batteries help power defence systems, energy grids, vehicles and AI infrastructure. But the supply chain that enables them is concentrated in a single country—a strategic vulnerability which has been recognized and is now driving over $150 billion in allied government and industry investment to diversify it. Efforts to get mines permitted and producing, as well as cell plants assembling components, are underway.
Cathode active material (CAM) is the bridge that turns resources into readiness for battery manufacturing. It's technically complex, geographically concentrated, and largely missing from western markets.
Here's the bridge. Why it matters. And how it gets built.
Cathode active materials (CAM) are the critical link in every lithium-ion battery. They connect raw material extraction and processing to become a material that is used in the cells that power defence, energy storage, and automotive.
Critical minerals—lithium, iron, phosphate, nickel, manganese, and cobalt—are extracted across allied nations. Canada, Australia, and the United States hold significant reserves of the raw materials needed for lithium-ion batteries.
Mining gets you concentrated minerals. Refining gets you chemicals.
Through purification processing, concentrated minerals are converted into cathode feedstock. These are key ingredients.
They're not yet a cathode.
Converting refined chemicals into cathode active material requires highly specialized processing and manufacturing expertise. This midstream layer is geographically concentrated—and largely absent from North America and allied markets.
China produces ~98% of global LFP cathodes today. The result: supply chains that appear domestic remain structurally dependent on external processing and inputs.
China also holds 95% or more of global precursor cathode active material (pCAM) production—a chokepoint upstream of cathode manufacturing itself.
Cathode active materials are a primary ingredient in every lithium-ion battery cell. They are the most complex, costly, energy- and environmentally-intensive component.
Cells are assembled into packs—now officially considered a battery engineered for specific applications, from grid-scale storage to EV platforms. Demand for batteries is accelerating across defence, energy storage, and automotive sectors.
Batteries power defence, energy storage, AI infrastructure, and automotive. Each of these markets is growing at double digits—and each depends on a secure and robust cathode supply chain.
Battery re-use and recycling extend the life of critical minerals—repurposing batteries into energy storage, or recovering battery chemicals at end-of-life to return into the midstream processing.
A circular battery economy depends on having domestic cathode processing capacity to put those recovered metals back to work.
It is strategic, it is an imperative, and it retains domestic possession of critical minerals.
China produces ~98% of LFP cathode material and 95% or more of precursor cathode active material (pCAM)—two chokepoints, one upstream of the other.
Today, ~98% of global LFP cathode processing happens in a single country.
2.1 TWh of LFP cathode demand outside China by 2035 = enough to power Texas or all of Canada for 4 days.
Map data: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025; Statistics Canada; California Energy Commission; US Energy Information Administration
LFP is forecast to be 52% of global cathode demand by 2035 (derived from BloombergNEF, Lithium-Ion Batteries: State of the Industry, 2024)—and ~98% of it is produced in China today.
Allied nations hold vast reserves of lithium, iron, phosphate, nickel, manganese, and cobalt—enough to supply a regional battery economy at scale.
Once minerals are refined to chemicals, they are cathode processing ready.
China introduced export restrictions controlling overseas access to LFP processing technology, specific grades of LFP cathode materials, and some manufacturing equipment (China MOFCOM Announcement).
US Section 45X and OBBBA offer up to $35/kWh in battery cell manufacturing tax credits, subject to increasing non-reliance on China-controlled content.
The G7 has pledged supply-chain diversification and coordination under the Critical Minerals Action Plan.
Canada-Germany and EU-Canada agreements specifically recognise midstream processing capacity as a strategic priority.
Sources: Benchmark Mineral Intelligence (US LFP cell pipeline); OBBBA Section 45X; US Treasury/IRS interim PFE guidance, February 2026; G7 Critical Minerals Action Plan 2023; Canada-Germany Joint Declaration on Critical Minerals 2025; EU-Canada Security and Defence Partnership 2025; China Ministry of Commerce Announcement No. 58, October 9, 2025.
Defence, energy storage, AI infrastructure, and automotive—all rely on cathode material. The demand exists. A localized midstream to feed it does not.
There is a perception that the West missed its window.
Industries don't transform overnight—they hit inflection points. The economic, policy, and demand signals around an allied-market LFP cathode supply chain are aligning. What matters from here is execution. And execution requires the right groundwork to be in place.
The timeline below shows ours.
The Candiac facility has been producing LFP at commercial scale since 2005. Nano One acquired it in 2022.
Not a miner. Not a cell manufacturer. The processing layer that's been missing—built on patented One-Pot™ process technology that changes the economics of cathode production. Designed to reduce reliance on China-based supply or technology. Independently validated by Worley Chemetics and Minviro.
In less than four years—multiple agencies, multiple rounds of independent due diligence, and multiple forms of capital, all pointing in the same direction. Governments. Miners. Engineering firms.
The supply chain has three layers: upstream (mining and refining of critical minerals like lithium, iron, and phosphate), midstream (processing those minerals into cathode active materials), and downstream (assembling cells and battery packs).
The midstream is the chemistry-intensive processing step that converts refined metals into cathode active materials—the battery-grade form needed to assemble cells. It is the most technically complex and most geographically concentrated layer of the supply chain.
Without domestic midstream capacity, North American battery cell plants must import cathode active material—creating supply chain dependencies, pricing vulnerabilities, and national security concerns. Allied nations have the critical minerals (lithium, iron, phosphate, nickel, manganese, cobalt) but lack the specialised chemistry and manufacturing capability to convert them into cathode material. Closing this gap is now a strategic priority for governments across the US, Canada, and allied jurisdictions.
Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) has emerged as a foundational battery chemistry for energy storage systems, AI infrastructure, and electric vehicles. LFP is forecast to represent 52% of global cathode demand by 2035 (derived from BloombergNEF, Lithium-Ion Batteries: State of the Industry, 2024).
~98% of global LFP cathode material is produced in China today. For North America and allied markets, that concentration is both a strategic vulnerability and an investment opportunity. China also holds 95% or more of global pCAM (precursor cathode active material) production. Nano One’s One-Pot™ process does not rely on pCAM or ferrous phosphate precursors—it eliminates the precursor step entirely.
Nano One Materials Corp. (TSX: NANO) is a Canadian process technology company changing how the world makes cathode materials. Its patented One-Pot™ process produces LFP cathode active material with approximately 30% lower CAPEX and OPEX, up to 80% less energy and water, and zero sodium sulfate wastewater.
Nano One operates an LFP cathode production facility in Candiac, Québec—currently expanding from 200 tpa toward commercial-scale output of 800 tpa. Target markets for commercial sales are defence and large-volume plant offtakes (A→C sample qualification). Its innovation hub is in Burnaby, British Columbia.
Nano One has strategic partnerships with Rio Tinto (US$10M strategic equity investment), Sumitomo Metal Mining (C$16.9M investment), and Worley Chemetics (Strategic Alliance and License Agreement for joint development, marketing, and deployment of One-Pot™ cathode plant designs).
The One-Pot process is Nano One's patented manufacturing technology that integrates precursor cathode active material (pCAM) and cathode active material (CAM) production into a single streamlined step. It delivers approximately 30% lower CAPEX and OPEX, uses up to 80% less energy and water, and eliminates sodium sulfate wastewater—independently validated by Worley Chemetics and an independent Minviro life cycle assessment—making LFP cathode production easier to permit and deploy in new jurisdictions.
Third-party data
International Energy Agency. Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2025 — "Beyond NMC: Battery supply chain issues for emerging battery technologies". 2025.
International Energy Agency. "With new export controls on critical minerals, supply concentration risks become reality". Commentary, 23 October 2025.
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains. 2021–2024 Four-Year Review of Supply Chains for the Advanced Batteries Sector. December 2024.
BloombergNEF. Lithium-Ion Batteries: State of the Industry 2024. 2024 (subscription).
U.S. Geological Survey. Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025. 2025.
Company disclosures — Nano One Materials Corp.
Nano One awarded $18 million from the Government of Québec to support LFP cathode production at its Candiac facility. News release.
Nano One highlights recent objectives, reports fourth quarter 2025 results (Natural Resources Canada funding). News release.
Nano One awarded US$12.9M by US Department of Defense to support expansion of North American LFP production at Candiac facility. News release.
NGen awards Nano One and Worley $2.8 million. News release.
Nano One pre-qualifies lithium from Rio Tinto for LFP cathode production and provides strategic collaboration update. News release.
Nano One and Sumitomo Metal Mining advance collaboration on LFP commercialization. News release.
Strategic alliance with Nano One to deploy One-Pot™ process technology (Worley). 2024.
Nano One provides progress update on its alliance with Worley and cost comparison for One-Pot™-enabled LFP cathode production. News release.
Nano One could reduce GHGs by up to 60% for NMC, 50% for LFP, and reduce water use by up to 80% (independent Minviro life cycle assessment). News release.
Global Policy Shifts Reinforce the Need for Supply Chain Optionality (analysis). Nano One Materials Corp.
One-Pot™ technology overview. Nano One Materials Corp.
Policy and trade instruments referenced in the bottleneck section—OBBBA Section 45X; G7 Critical Minerals Action Plan (2023); Canada-Germany Joint Declaration on Critical Minerals (2025); EU-Canada Security and Defence Partnership (2025); China Ministry of Commerce Announcement No. 58 (9 October 2025); and pending US Treasury/IRS interim PFE guidance (February 2026)—are cited inline at their point of use.
As capital, policy, and technology converge, the midstream is becoming the defining layer of the battery value chain. Stay close to the story as it unfolds.
This page contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, including statements regarding Nano One’s targeted commercial LFP supply agreements; planned capacity expansion at its Candiac facility and related timing; the expected cost, energy, water, waste and emissions benefits of its One-Pot™ process at commercial scale; anticipated government funding and drawdowns; market and demand forecasts for LFP and other cathode materials outside China; the impact of government policies, incentives and trade measures; and the Company’s strategy, partnerships and milestones. Forward-looking statements can often be identified by the use of words such as "will", "shall", "would", "may", "could", "should", "expect", "anticipate", "plan", "intend", "target", "believe", "estimate", "forecast", "potential", "designed to" and similar expressions, or by statements that certain actions, events or results "will", "may" or "are expected to" be taken, occur or be achieved. These statements reflect management’s current expectations and assumptions and are not guarantees of future performance.
Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties—including technology scale-up, customer qualification, project execution and timing, availability of funding and capital, changes in policy and markets, competition, and reliance on strategic partners and third-party data—that could cause actual results to differ materially. Market and third-party data (including from the IEA, U.S. DOE, USGS and BloombergNEF) have not been independently verified. Additional risk factors are described in Nano One’s continuous-disclosure filings on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca). Forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this page, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update them except as required by law. One-Pot™ is a trademark of Nano One Materials Corp.