Eramet, the leading producer of manganese ore, and Vibrantz Technologies announced a 10-year agreement whereby Eramet will supply Vibrantz with manganese ore, an essential raw material used in Vibrantz’s portfolio of manganese technologies for lithium-ion battery and other applications.

The agreement builds on a 20-year Eramet-Vibrantz partnership to create a reliable pathway for Vibrantz’s manganese sulfate manufacture used in the production of electric vehicle (EV) batteries.

Eramet’s manganese ore will be sourced from its Gabon mine which will undertake the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance’s (IRMA) audit process to align its operations with international best practices. Eramet seeks to have all of its sites IRMA audited by 2026. Through its subsidiaries Comilog and Setrag, Eramet is the largest private employer in Gabon.

Earlier this year, Vibrantz announced that it is constructing a pilot facility to process battery-grade high-purity manganese sulfate (HPMSM) at its Tampico, Mexico, site. The new facility is expected to be operational in 2026.

Over the next three years, this expansion is anticipated to increase Vibrantz’s HPMSM capacity to up to 45,000 metric tons per year which could help power two million electric vehicles and positions the company to provide a second reliable manganese sulfate alternative for the lithium-ion battery market serving electric vehicles.

The only experienced Western producer of HPMSM, Vibrantz already manufactures various manganese chemicals at scale and produces HPMSM at its manganese chemical facility in Saint-Ghislain, Belgium. The company will leverage its existing agricultural grade manganese sulfate plant in Tampico to serve the North American market with a new product and process.