Back to supply chains
Where does Northvolt source its components?
Sweden. Supply chain mapped to 40 inputs across 11 countries.
Federal screeningClean
No federal designation found. Northvolt is not named on any of the 3 federal restricted-party lists screened for this record (DOD Section 1260H, BIS Entity List, OFAC SDN List), and Sweden is not a covered nation under the FEOC rules. Is Northvolt a Foreign Entity of Concern?
Upstream sourcing exposure
High56% weighted
16 in covered nations - 13 elevated, of 40 nodes.
Where inputs are mined and refined. Not a FEOC determination for the company -- see the federal list screening above.
Refining chokepoint
4 of 8 processing/refining steps in covered nations
Producer1
Component8
Processing / Refining8
Raw Material15
Mine / Extraction8
designated covered nation elevated no known factor not assessed
Loading chain view...
Sourcing Concentration by Country
Covered NationAllied NationOther
Sourcing risk across the graph
Where each input is mined or refined. Not a FEOC determination for the company.
0
Designated (0%)
16
Covered nation (40%)
13
Elevated (33%)
11
No known factor (28%)
Legend
Node Types
Producer
Supplier
Component
Processing / Refining
Raw Material
Mine / Extraction
Logistics
Sourcing risk
Federally designated - named on a restricted-party list
Covered nation - sited in China, Russia, Iran or North Korea
Elevated - documented concentration risk, no federal listing
No known risk factor - not a compliance clearance
Not assessed - no sourcing judgement was made
Relationships
Transformation - manufactures / assembles
Refining - midstream processing (FEOC chokepoint)
Supply handoff - supplies / sources from
Arrows point in the direction material flows (input to product).
Every mapped input in the Northvolt supply chain
40 nodes, grouped by supply-chain tier. Sourcing risk describes where an input is mined or refined; it is not a FEOC determination for Northvolt.
Producer (1)
| Input | Origin | Sourcing risk | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| NorthvoltNorthvolt Ett gigafactory, Skellefteå, Sweden | Sweden | No known risk factor | Lithium-ion NMC cell and pack manufacturer; EU-based OEM, allied jurisdiction. Assets acquired by Lyten (US) in Feb 2026 after 2024-25 bankruptcy; facility remains Sweden-based. |
Component (8)
| Input | Origin | Sourcing risk | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lithium-ion Battery Cell (NMC)Northvolt Ett, Skellefteå | Sweden | No known risk factor | Assembled cell integrating cathode, anode, separator, electrolyte and current collectors. Cell assembly in Sweden. |
| NMC Cathode ElectrodeNorthvolt Ett | Sweden | No known risk factor | Cathode slurry cast on aluminum foil; active material historically externally sourced (Upstream 1 CAM plant paused Oct 2024). |
| Graphite Anode ElectrodeNorthvolt Ett | Sweden | No known risk factor | Anode slurry cast on copper foil; graphite is the key active material. |
| Polyolefin Separator | China | Covered nation | Wet-process PE/PP separator with PVDF/ceramic coating; global supply China-dominant (Semcorp, Yunnan Energy, etc.). |
| Liquid Electrolyte | China | Covered nation | LiPF6 salt dissolved in carbonate solvents; >70% of global LiPF6 and electrolyte formulation capacity is Chinese. |
| Cell Housing / Can & Terminals | Sweden | Elevated sourcing risk | Aluminum/steel can, tabs and terminals; mixed allied/global metals supply. |
| Copper Foil (anode current collector)SK Nexilis (Poland/Korea) | South Korea | No known risk factor | Northvolt signed ~$1.08B deal with SK Nexilis for ~80% of copper foil needs over 5 yrs; allied supplier. |
| Aluminum Foil (cathode current collector) | China | Covered nation | Battery-grade aluminum foil; supply chain China-heavy but with EU alternatives. |
Processing and refining (8)
| Input | Origin | Sourcing risk | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lithium Conversion Plant (China)Jiangxi / Sichuan converters | China | Covered nation | Converts spodumene to battery-grade LiOH/Li2CO3; the midstream FEOC chokepoint (~73-74% global share). |
| Nickel Refinery (Vale Canada)Vale, Ontario/Manitoba | Canada | No known risk factor | Class-1 nickel refining feeding low-carbon nickel sulfate; allied, non-China route Northvolt contracted. |
| Nickel HPAL Refinery (Indonesia)Morowali / Weda Bay HPAL | Indonesia | Elevated sourcing risk | Laterite HPAL to nickel sulfate/MHP; capacity built with Chinese investment/technology, China-controlled midstream. |
| Cobalt Refinery (China) | China | Covered nation | Refines DRC cobalt hydroxide to cobalt sulfate; China dominates cobalt refining. |
| Manganese Sulfate Refinery (China)Guizhou / Hunan | China | Covered nation | Refines manganese ore to HPMSM; 93% of HPMSM producers are Chinese. |
| Graphite Anode Refiner (China) | China | Covered nation | Spheroidization, HF purification, graphitization and carbon coating; ~90%+ of anode-grade graphite refined in China. |
| Copper Smelter/Refinery | Chile | Elevated sourcing risk | Smelts/electrorefines copper concentrate to cathode; split Chile/China. |
| Aluminum SmelterHydro (Norway) / global | Norway | Elevated sourcing risk | Electrolytic (Hall-Héroult) smelting of alumina; EU hydro-power route available, China leads global tonnage. |
Raw material (15)
| Input | Origin | Sourcing risk | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| NMC Cathode Active Material (CAM) | Europe | Elevated sourcing risk | Externally sourced NMC powder while Northvolt in-house CAM (Upstream 1) paused; supplier mix EU/Asia — sourcing not fully public. |
| pCAM (Precursor CAM) | China | Covered nation | Ni-Mn-Co hydroxide precursor; China controls ~95% of global pCAM capacity per IEA. |
| Nickel Sulfate (battery grade) | Canada | Elevated sourcing risk | Class-1 nickel sulfate; Northvolt signed low-carbon nickel deal with Vale Canada, but broader market supply skews to China-controlled Indonesian HPAL. |
| Cobalt Sulfate (battery grade) | China | Covered nation | Cobalt sulfate for pCAM; ~75%+ of global cobalt refining is Chinese. |
| High-Purity Manganese Sulfate (HPMSM) | China | Covered nation | HPMSM for pCAM; China holds 85-96% of global battery-grade manganese sulfate refining. |
| Lithium Hydroxide (battery grade) | China | Covered nation | LiOH for high-nickel cathode; ~74% of global lithium chemical conversion capacity is in China. |
| Spodumene Concentrate | Australia | Elevated sourcing risk | Hard-rock lithium concentrate; ~96% of Australian spodumene is exported to China for conversion. |
| Anode-Grade Graphite (coated spherical) | China | Covered nation | Spheroidized, purified and carbon-coated graphite; Chinese firms produce ~93% of anode material and ~99% of spherical graphite. |
| Natural Flake Graphite | Mozambique | Elevated sourcing risk | Flake graphite feedstock; mined across Mozambique, Madagascar, Brazil and China. |
| Synthetic Graphite (from petroleum coke) | China | Covered nation | ~90% of anode graphite is synthetic, made by graphitizing petroleum/needle coke; graphitization overwhelmingly Chinese. |
| Needle / Petroleum Coke | China | Covered nation | Carbon precursor for synthetic graphite; refined from petroleum, global supply with heavy Chinese processing. |
| Refined Copper (cathode) | Chile | Elevated sourcing risk | Electrolytic copper feedstock for foil; refining split across Chile, China and others. |
| Refined Aluminum | Norway | Elevated sourcing risk | Primary aluminum for foil; EU/Norway hydro-aluminum available but China leads global output. |
| Lithium Hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6)Jiangsu / Hunan clusters | China | Covered nation | >70% of global LiPF6 salt capacity is Chinese. |
| Carbonate Solvents (EC/DMC/EMC) | China | Covered nation | Organic carbonate solvents for electrolyte; production concentrated in China. |
Mine and extraction (8)
| Input | Origin | Sourcing risk | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hard-Rock Lithium MineGreenbushes / Pilgangoora, W. Australia | Australia | No known risk factor | Allied-mined spodumene; FEOC risk arises downstream at Chinese conversion, not the mine. |
| Nickel Mine (Canada)Sudbury / Voisey's Bay | Canada | No known risk factor | Sulfide nickel ore feeding Vale Canadian refining; allied. |
| Nickel Laterite Mine (Indonesia)Sulawesi / Halmahera | Indonesia | Elevated sourcing risk | Laterite ore for HPAL; mine allied-adjacent but processing is China-controlled. |
| Cobalt Mine (DRC)Katanga copper-cobalt belt | Democratic Republic Of Congo | Elevated sourcing risk | ~71% of global mined cobalt; much controlled by Chinese operators (CMOC, Huayou) — mine ownership often Chinese. |
| Manganese Mine (South Africa)Kalahari Manganese Field | South Africa | No known risk factor | World's largest manganese producer; only ~2% processed domestically, rest exported (largely to China). |
| Graphite MineBalama / global flake deposits | Mozambique | Elevated sourcing risk | Natural flake graphite; mining geographically diverse but refining concentrated in China. |
| Copper MineEscondida / Chilean porphyry belt | Chile | No known risk factor | Copper concentrate; allied mine, refining split. |
| Bauxite MineWeipa / Gove | Australia | No known risk factor | Bauxite ore refined to alumina then smelted to aluminum; allied source. |
Material flow (40 relationships)
- Northvolt manufactures Lithium-ion Battery Cell (NMC) (Lithium-ion NMC cell)
- Lithium-ion Battery Cell (NMC) assembles NMC Cathode Electrode (NMC cathode electrode)
- Lithium-ion Battery Cell (NMC) assembles Graphite Anode Electrode (Graphite anode electrode)
- Lithium-ion Battery Cell (NMC) assembles Polyolefin Separator (Polyolefin separator)
- Lithium-ion Battery Cell (NMC) assembles Liquid Electrolyte (Liquid electrolyte)
- Lithium-ion Battery Cell (NMC) assembles Cell Housing / Can & Terminals (Cell housing/can)
- NMC Cathode Electrode supplies NMC Cathode Active Material (CAM) (NMC cathode active material)
- NMC Cathode Electrode supplies Aluminum Foil (cathode current collector) (Aluminum foil current collector)
- Graphite Anode Electrode supplies Anode-Grade Graphite (coated spherical) (Coated spherical graphite)
- Graphite Anode Electrode supplies Copper Foil (anode current collector) (Copper foil current collector)
- NMC Cathode Active Material (CAM) supplies pCAM (Precursor CAM) (pCAM precursor)
- NMC Cathode Active Material (CAM) supplies Lithium Hydroxide (battery grade) (Lithium hydroxide)
- pCAM (Precursor CAM) supplies Nickel Sulfate (battery grade) (Nickel sulfate)
- pCAM (Precursor CAM) supplies Cobalt Sulfate (battery grade) (Cobalt sulfate)
- pCAM (Precursor CAM) supplies High-Purity Manganese Sulfate (HPMSM) (Manganese sulfate)
- Lithium Hydroxide (battery grade) refines Lithium Conversion Plant (China) (Spodumene to lithium hydroxide)
- Lithium Conversion Plant (China) sources from Spodumene Concentrate (Spodumene concentrate)
- Spodumene Concentrate sources from Hard-Rock Lithium Mine (Hard-rock lithium ore)
- Nickel Sulfate (battery grade) refines Nickel Refinery (Vale Canada) (Class-1 nickel to sulfate)
- Nickel Sulfate (battery grade) refines Nickel HPAL Refinery (Indonesia) (Laterite to nickel sulfate (HPAL))
- Nickel Refinery (Vale Canada) sources from Nickel Mine (Canada) (Sulfide nickel ore)
- Nickel HPAL Refinery (Indonesia) sources from Nickel Laterite Mine (Indonesia) (Nickel laterite ore)
- Cobalt Sulfate (battery grade) refines Cobalt Refinery (China) (Cobalt hydroxide to sulfate)
- Cobalt Refinery (China) sources from Cobalt Mine (DRC) (Cobalt hydroxide)
- High-Purity Manganese Sulfate (HPMSM) refines Manganese Sulfate Refinery (China) (Manganese ore to HPMSM)
- Manganese Sulfate Refinery (China) sources from Manganese Mine (South Africa) (Manganese ore)
- Anode-Grade Graphite (coated spherical) refines Graphite Anode Refiner (China) (Spheroidize, purify and coat graphite)
- Graphite Anode Refiner (China) sources from Natural Flake Graphite (Natural flake graphite)
- Graphite Anode Refiner (China) sources from Synthetic Graphite (from petroleum coke) (Synthetic graphite)
- Natural Flake Graphite sources from Graphite Mine (Flake graphite ore)
- Synthetic Graphite (from petroleum coke) supplies Needle / Petroleum Coke (Petroleum/needle coke feedstock)
- Liquid Electrolyte supplies Lithium Hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) (LiPF6 salt)
- Liquid Electrolyte supplies Carbonate Solvents (EC/DMC/EMC) (Carbonate solvents)
- Lithium Hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) supplies Lithium Hydroxide (battery grade) (Lithium input for LiPF6)
- Copper Foil (anode current collector) supplies Refined Copper (cathode) (Refined copper)
- Refined Copper (cathode) refines Copper Smelter/Refinery (Copper concentrate to cathode)
- Copper Smelter/Refinery sources from Copper Mine (Copper concentrate)
- Aluminum Foil (cathode current collector) supplies Refined Aluminum (Refined aluminum)
- Refined Aluminum refines Aluminum Smelter (Alumina to aluminum)
- Aluminum Smelter sources from Bauxite Mine (Bauxite/alumina)
Sources and methodology
Research-based supply-chain map compiled from public sources - not an audited bill of materials. Tiers reflect the standard industry structure for this product. Sourcing risk on a node describes where that input is typically mined or refined; it is not a FEOC determination for Northvolt, and it is not a screening result for the node itself unless a federal listing is cited against it. Verify against primary documentation before making a compliance determination.
Secondary sources (28) - trade press, analysts, reference works
- northvolt.com northvolt.com/articles/sourcing-raw-materials/
- procurementmag.com procurementmag.com/sustainable-sourcing/northvolt-sustianable-cathode-material-procurement
- energy-storage.news energy-storage.news/northvolt-selling-cathode-and-ess-sites-sharpening-focus-to-battery-cell-production/
- northvolt.com northvolt.com/products/cells/lithium-ion/
- northvolt.com northvolt.com/manufacturing/
- en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northvolt
- electrive.com electrive.com/2026/02/27/lyten-completes-acquisition-of-swedish-northvolt-units/
- energy-solutions.co energy-solutions.co/reports/lithium-chokepoint-china-monopoly/
- camaltd.com camaltd.com/china-australia-lithium-shift-2026/
- carboncredits.com carboncredits.com/chinas-grip-on-lithium-tightens-as-global-supply-struggles-to-keep-up/
- cen.acs.org cen.acs.org/policy/trade/China-restricts-exports-graphite-used/101/i36
- fastmarkets.com fastmarkets.com/insights/natural-graphite-under-pressure-from-synthetics-amid-oversupply-slow-trade-flows/
- benchmarkminerals.com benchmarkminerals.com/glossary/what-is-graphite
- alloyindex.com alloyindex.com/news/cobalt-sulfate-supply-2025-precursors-hydroxide-pipeline-and-drc-sea-logistics/
- critical-minerals-news.com critical-minerals-news.com/top-10-cobalt-producers/
- mining.com mining.com/web/huayou-cobalt-boosts-nickel-capacity-in-indonesia/
- benchmarkminerals.com benchmarkminerals.com/glossary/what-is-cobalt
- marketgrowthreports.com marketgrowthreports.com/market-reports/lithium-hexafluorophosphate-lipf6-market-113468
- prismaneconsulting.com prismaneconsulting.com/blog-details/lithium-hexafluorophosphate-lipf6-market-size-price-trade-and-outlook
- tycorun.com tycorun.com/blogs/news/top-lithium-battery-separator-manufacturers
- sfa-oxford.com sfa-oxford.com/battery-metals-and-materials/markets/manganese-market-and-manganese-price-drivers/
- edition.cnn.com edition.cnn.com/2024/04/30/africa/manganese-south-africa-exports-electric-vehicles-batteries-spc-intl
- fastmarkets.com fastmarkets.com/insights/overlooked-battery-material-manganese-sulfate-could-experience-supply-deficit-in-next-ten-years/
- miningvisuals.com miningvisuals.com/post/the-world-s-largest-nickel-mines
- mining.com mining.com/mixed-hydroxide-precipitate-the-new-class-one-nickel/
- vale.com vale.com/w/vale-to-supply-northvolt-with-low-carbon-nickel-products-for-batteries
- kedglobal.com kedglobal.com/batteries/newsView/ked202302190002
- umicore.com umicore.com/en/media/newsroom/pcam-ev-battery-supply-agreements-with-cngr-and-ecodream/
Common questions
- Where does Northvolt source the inputs in this product?
- This map traces 40 inputs across 11 countries, including 16 mines and refiners. It is compiled from public sources and is not an audited bill of materials.
- How much of the Northvolt supply chain sits in a covered nation?
- 16 of 40 mapped inputs are sited in a covered nation (China, Russia, Iran or North Korea) or named on a federal restricted-party list. A further 13 carry elevated sourcing risk without either basis.
- Is Northvolt itself a Foreign Entity of Concern?
- No federal designation found. Northvolt is not named on any of the 3 federal restricted-party lists screened for this record (DOD Section 1260H, BIS Entity List, OFAC SDN List), and Sweden is not a covered nation under the FEOC rules. Sourcing risk in this map describes where inputs are mined and refined and is a separate question from the company's own federal screening.