Cathode Active Material & Precursor Manufacturing worked example

Lithium Excess Cost at 92% lithium excess addition: a worked example

Push lithium excess addition up to 92% and the picture changes. This example computes every intermediate figure at that operating point. Use it when lithium excess cost in cathode active material and precursor manufacturing is being put through a cathode active material and precursor manufacturing weighted-cost review.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Stoichiometric lithium source required: 100 kg (unchanged)
  • Lithium source cost: 45 $ / kg (unchanged)
  • Lithium excess addition: 92 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 80)
  • Fixed lithium handling cost: 250 $ (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Variable lithium excess cost = stoichiometric lithium source required × lithium source cost × lithium excess addition) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 4,390 $ for total lithium excess cost, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 43.9 $ / piece for effective lithium excess cost per kg stoichiometric charge.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 4,140 $ for variable lithium excess cost.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 250 $ for fixed lithium handling cost.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where lithium excess addition sits at 80% and the headline result is 3,850 $, this scenario comes in 14.03% above the baseline at 4,390 $.
  • It computes the variable cost of the excess lithium dosed above stoichiometry, adds fixed handling cost, and gives the effective cost per kg of stoichiometric charge. The value of this scenario is the size of the gap it exposes: that gap, priced out over a year, is the budget you can justify spending to close it.

Results at a glance

  • Total lithium excess cost: 4,390 $ (headline result)
  • Effective lithium excess cost per kg stoichiometric charge: 43.9 $ / piece
  • Variable lithium excess cost: 4,140 $
  • Fixed lithium handling cost: 250 $

Run it with your numbers

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

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.