Cathode Active Material & Precursor Manufacturing worked example

Energy Intensity with process electrical load of 30 kW: a worked example in cathode active material & precursor manufacturing

What does the result look like when process electrical load reaches 30 kW? The full calculation is worked below with real intermediate numbers. Use it when energy intensity in cathode active material and precursor manufacturing is being quoted and energy is a real chunk of the cathode active material and precursor manufacturing cost stack.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Process electrical load: 30 kW (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 12)
  • Process operating hours: 8 hr (unchanged)
  • Electricity price: 0.12 $ / kWh (unchanged)
  • Accepted material output: 1,000 kg (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Total process energy cost = process energy load × process operating hours × energy price) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 28.8 $ for total process energy cost, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 240 kWh for process energy used.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 0.03 $ / piece for energy cost per kg accepted material.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 3.6 $ / hr for hourly process energy cost.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where process electrical load sits at 12 kW and the headline result is 11.52 $, this scenario comes in 150% above the baseline at 28.8 $.
  • A figure at this level is achievable when process electrical load is genuinely sustained, not just peaked for a shift. It uses average load and a flat energy price, so it misses ramp/soak power profiles, time-of-use tariffs, demand charges and any thermal energy from gas firing rather than electricity.

Results at a glance

  • Total process energy cost: 28.8 $ (headline result)
  • Process energy used: 240 kWh
  • Energy cost per kg accepted material: 0.03 $ / piece
  • Hourly process energy cost: 3.6 $ / hr

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Energy Intensity calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.