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Brazil is preparing for the launch of a niobium plant with Toshiba technology and an annual production of 1,000 tons. CBMM is betting big on the global battery market, consolidating the country in the clean energy industry.
Brazil is about to be the stage for a industrial transformation large-scale project that promises to directly impact high-tech and sustainable mobility sectors.
A new industrial plant for niobium, one of the most promising elements for the electric vehicle battery industry, is being completed in Araxá, Minas Gerais, by the Brazilian Metallurgy and Mining Company (CBMM).
Scheduled to open in early 2025, the plant is the result of a partnership with the Japanese multinational Toshiba Corporation, integrating advanced technology to produce one thousand tons of mixed niobium oxides annually, a strategic material for the next generation of batteries.
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Partnerships and innovative technology
In 2018, CBMM formalized a partnership with Toshiba Corporation to develop a special type of lithium battery, with mixed oxide anodes of niobium and titanium.
This material allows for more efficient energy storage and faster recharging, making it suitable for both passenger vehicles and heavy machinery.
According to CBMM, this technology has already been successfully tested in electric buses through a collaboration with Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus, which reinforces the reliability of the project.
In addition to the plant in partnership with Toshiba, CBMM recently opened another manufacturing unit dedicated to the production of mixed niobium oxides, also in Araxá, with technology from the English company Echion Technologies, known as XNO.
As explained by the executive manager of CBMM's battery program, Rogério Ribas, “the technologies complement each other and the unit with XNO technology is already in operation, while the plant with Toshiba technology will be officially announced soon.”
Market growth and future plans
CBMM is already one of the largest niobium producers in the world, with a production capacity of 150 thousand tons per year, a volume that exceeds current global demand.
According to Ribas, the objective is not only to consolidate market leadership, but also to expand the application of niobium in new industrial sectors.
“If the technology program continues to advance, new investments and strategic partnerships could further expand the niobium market in the coming years,” he said.
Billion-dollar investment and economic impact
The project for the new niobium plant has already received R$250 million in 2024, and CBMM CEO Ricardo Lima announced that, for 2025, investments could reach up to R$300 million.
According to Lima, “there is no strict limit on the resources allocated to development projects.
The company is committed to investing in innovative projects that guarantee the company’s future and its relevance in the global market.”
Part of these resources was directed to the battery materials and technologies division, with an investment of approximately R$80 million this year.
This division aims to increase sales volume and diversify CBMM's revenue, which currently obtains around 25% of its income from products outside the steel sector.
Lima projects that this share could exceed 30% by 2027, which brings forward the target set for 2030.
Niobium in the future of technology and the global economy
To maintain relevance in the niobium market, CBMM has invested in multiple application fronts for this metal.
In addition to batteries, the company explores the use of niobium in the aerospace and optical industries, and in nanomaterials applicable to electric motors.
According to Lima, this strategy aims to replicate the success achieved by niobium in other industrial sectors.
CBMM's New Business area also received special attention, with an investment of R$100 million in the last twelve months.
According to the company's CEO, the idea is to further diversify the applications of niobium, expanding its presence in the lithium-ion battery market worldwide.
“We are constantly looking for ways to expand the use of niobium so that it is present in new technologies and industries,” concluded Lima.
Prospects and challenges for the new niobium plant in Araxá
With the completion of the new plant and the expansion of investments, CBMM positions itself as a protagonist in a technological revolution that serves the growing market for clean energy and electric vehicles.
The success of the project could open up new opportunities for the export of Brazilian niobium and consolidate the country as an innovation center in the global battery market.
Do you believe that Brazil is ready to become a global power in the production of batteries for electric vehicles based on niobium?
Yes, Brazil just needs investment and qualification of its
Workers become professionals, Brazil is actually lacking a lot of investment to professionalize at least five million workers in 230 years.
I think we need to develop products with high added technological value (research and development), develop and value our specialized workforce.
Yes. Brazil needs to invest heavily in quality education to keep up with technological development so that we don't become eternal commodity exporters. We have the largest reserves of everything a country needs to be developed. We just need to invest in quality education. Brazilians demonstrate their intelligence and capacity with good will. What is lacking are incentives.