Panasonic Energy announced that it has signed a purchase agreement with Australian battery materials company Novonix for the supply of synthetic graphite. It will be used in Panasonic Energy’s battery manufacturing facilities for electric vehicles in the United States. Shipments are scheduled to begin in 2025 from the Novonix facility in Tennessee.
Up to 10,000 tons over four-year span
Under the terms of the agreement, Panasonic Energy will purchase up to 10,000 tons of graphite from Novonix’s North American operations over a four-year period. Panasonic highlights that synthetic graphite offers improved battery durability compared to natural graphite, enabling reliable performance during repeated charge and discharge cycles.
Process to reduce carbon emissions
Synthetic graphite is traditionally produced by prolonged high-temperature treatment in an Acheson furnace for 30 days per production cycle, with temperatures reaching up to 3,000°C. According to Novonix, its proprietary graphitization furnaces enable efficient mass production of synthetic graphite in as little as three days per cycle. This process is expected to reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption during production.
