At an industry conference in November, Norde’s General Manager Chen Yubi noted that the negative-electrode copper foil sector had been unprofitable from Q4 2023 through last year. The market only began recovering this year, and by now, the entire lithium-ion battery copper foil industry is experiencing a surge in orders.
As Chen indicated, copper foil procurement news has continued to emerge since early 2025 and has lasted throughout the year.
Early in the year, Gotion High-Tech signed a long-term 2025 supply agreement with Defu Technology during its strategic launch event. In April, ChuNeng New Energy reached a five-year strategic cooperation agreement with Huachuang New Material, under which Huachuang will supply 150,000 tonnes of copper foil. In June, CATL signed a copper foil supply contract with South Korean company Solus, which will provide foil produced at its Hungary plant to CATL’s European facilities starting in 2026. Also in June, Defu Technology signed a nomination agreement with a leading global consumer battery manufacturer to supply copper foil to its Southeast Asian plants over the next three to five years. In November, Jiayuan Technology signed a framework agreement with CATL, committing to secure supply for CATL based on a combined copper foil capacity of no less than 626,000 tonnes from 2026 to 2028.
As one of the world’s leading lithium-ion battery copper foil producers, Norde Co., Ltd. is also a major beneficiary of this new wave of procurement. It has signed long-term strategic cooperation agreements with CALB, Trina Storage, SVOLT, and ChuNeng New Energy.
Breakdown of Norde’s Latest Contracts
Trina Storage
On April 22, Norde’s wholly owned subsidiary Baijiada signed a procurement contract to supply 4.5-micron copper foil in 2025, valued at approximately RMB 200 million.
SVOLT
On the same day, Baijiada signed a three-year strategic framework agreement with SVOLT, which is expected to procure 50,000 tonnes of lithium battery copper foil.
ChuNeng New Energy
On July 22, both parties signed a strategic cooperation agreement for 160,000 tonnes of copper foil over the next five years.
CALB
Norde and CALB reached two procurement deals in 2025:
1. In February, Baijiada signed a 2025 supply-guarantee framework agreement for 45,000 tonnes of copper foil.
2. On December 1, Norde announced via its official channel that Baijiada signed a 2026–2028 supply-guarantee agreement to deliver 373,000 tonnes over three years (58,000 tonnes, 130,000 tonnes, and 185,000 tonnes respectively).
In total—excluding Trina Storage and other smaller agreements—Norde has secured 628,000 tonnes of copper foil orders. Based on the mainstream market price of RMB 106,000 per tonne, the total contract value exceeds RMB 66 billion. If the orders involve 4.5-micron and other high-end copper foils, the final value would be even higher, providing strong support for Norde’s return to profitability.
Financial Performance Improving
According to Norde’s Q3 2025 report, revenue for the first three quarters grew 29.21% year on year to RMB 4.793 billion, although the company still posted a net loss of RMB 93.74 million. On the positive side, net losses narrowed significantly, decreasing by RMB 123 million year on year.
Market observers believe the large long-term contracts will drive a new stage of performance growth for Norde. At the same time, to meet customer demand, the industry—led by companies such as Norde—is entering an accelerated expansion cycle.
Norde currently has 140,000 tonnes of annual copper foil capacity and is planning an additional 30,000-tonne project in Belgium. However, based on existing orders, CALB alone will require more than Norde’s current peak output during 2027–2028, making the company’s expansion needs increasingly urgent.
According to Norde’s long-term plan, global copper foil capacity is expected to reach 300,000 tonnes annually by 2030, covering lithium battery foils and high-end PCB electronic copper foil.
Technology as the Core Driver
Behind Norde’s rapid order growth is continuous technological advancement. The company emphasizes that competing solely on price is the least sustainable strategy; true long-term competitiveness comes from technological differentiation.
The lithium battery copper foil industry is moving toward ultra-thin, high-performance, and intelligent products—areas where Norde has already made sizable investments. In Q1 2025, the company announced it had achieved mass production capability for 3-micron copper foil, establishing a product portfolio spanning 6 µm to 3 µm.
For next-generation solid-state batteries, Norde has introduced its NL-FN nickel-plated alloy foil, which offers exceptional corrosion resistance—remaining unchanged after 48 hours at 200°C—and providing more than 10% higher tensile strength and over 25% greater bending resistance.
Norde is collaborating with several leading battery manufacturers on solid-state battery technology development, securing an early leadership position in the field and strengthening its long-term competitiveness and market share prospects.
Source： SOHU