ENERGY MINERALS

Lithium-ion cell capacity to quadruple by 2030

WoodMac less bullish on capacity build out than Benchmark Mineral Intelligence

Staff reporter

This article is 5 years old. Images might not display.

WoodMac said capacity could reach 1.3 terrawatt-hours (TWh) by the end of the decade, pointing to 119 battery factories that are either operational, under construction or have been announced by more than 50 manufacturers.

China is set to double capacity from 345 gigawatt hours (GWh) to more than 800GWh, while a dramatic ramp up in European capacity means the continent will account for 25% of capacity in 2030, up from just 7% at present.

"Driven by growing demand for batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage, Asian manufacturers are investing heavily in new plants in Europe, for example, CATL's Erfurt Plant, LG Chem's Wroclaw Plant, and Samsung SDI's Goed Plant," said WoodMac.

"Local manufacturers including Northvolt, ACC, have also put forward ambitious plans to scale up in Europe and localise the battery supply chain," said the

WoodMac's forecast is less bullish on capacity build-out than battery-focused consultancy Benchmark Minerals, which expects capacity to ramp up beyond 2.5TWh through 2030, with China's CATL accounting for 332GWh on its own.

US manufacturer Tesla is set to be the fourth largest producer, with 148GWh of capacity in 2030.

Expert-led Insights reports and Analytics tools built on robust data, rigorous analysis and expert commentary covering mining Risk, Projects, ESG, Leadership, and Investor Sentiment.

Expert-led Insights reports and Analytics tools built on robust data, rigorous analysis and expert commentary covering mining Risk, Projects, ESG, Leadership, and Investor Sentiment.

editions

Investor Sentiment Insights 2026

Discover what investors have planned for mining in 2026 in our industry-leading survey

editions

World Risk Insights 2025 (feat. MineHutte ratings)

A detailed analysis of mining investment risks across 120 jurisdictions globally, assessed across six risk categories and an industrywide survey.

editions

ESG Index 2025: Benchmarking the Future of Sustainable Mining

The ESG Index provides an in-depth evaluation of the ESG performance of 60+ of the world’s largest mining companies. It assesses companies across 10 weighted indicators within 6 essential ESG pillars.

editions

Leadership Insights 2025

Leadership Insights reveals key trends in priority mining issues through interviews with 15+ top mining company executives and an industrywide survey.