磷酸铁锂行业深度报告：行业盈利有望修复，产品升级加速格局分化

Investment Rating - The report maintains an "Outperform" rating for the lithium iron phosphate (LFP) industry [2] Core Insights - The profitability of the industry is expected to recover, driven by strong demand from electric vehicles and energy storage, leading to rapid growth in iron-lithium demand. Leading LFP companies are operating at high capacity utilization, and improvements in pricing and costs are likely to enhance profitability [2][4] - The acceleration of high-pressure dense LFP applications and the gradual increase in the penetration rate of manganese iron lithium are expected to drive product upgrades, resulting in differentiated profitability and market share among companies [2][4] Summary by Sections Investment Recommendations - Strong demand from electric vehicles is anticipated to drive rapid growth in LFP material demand, with the growth rate of LFP cathodes expected to exceed the overall growth rate of the lithium battery industry. The current profitability of the LFP industry is at a historical low, indicating conditions for recovery. The stabilization of raw material prices, such as lithium carbonate, is expected to reduce cost pressures, while new pricing negotiations are likely to emerge, further improving profitability under strong demand conditions. High-pressure dense LFP and manganese iron lithium are expected to accelerate profitability and market share differentiation, benefiting leading companies with technological and cost advantages. Companies to watch include Hunan YN, Fulian Precision, Wanrun New Energy, Longpan Technology, and Defang Nano [4][26] Demand Side - The demand for electric vehicles is projected to continue growing, with sales expected to reach 16 million units in China by 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 24.4%. This growth is supported by policies, demand, and technological advancements, with the penetration rate of new energy vehicles expected to rise significantly [25][26] - The global energy storage battery market is expected to experience rapid growth, with Chinese companies dominating the market. In 2024, China's energy storage lithium battery shipments are projected to grow by over 60%, capturing more than 90% of the global market share [40][41] Supply Side - The LFP production process is mature, with various methods such as phosphate iron method, oxalic acid iron method, and iron red method being utilized. The phosphate iron method is the mainstream process, which allows for better control of product quality and cost efficiency [44][56] - The report highlights that the cost advantage of LFP over ternary materials is driven by the composition of materials, as LFP primarily uses abundant iron and phosphate sources, making it more cost-effective compared to the expensive cobalt and nickel used in ternary materials [20][36]