Battery Material

Battery materials specialist Sila has begun to build out its first automotive-scale production facility in Moses Lake, Washington State, where the company’s “Titan Silicon” anode will be produced from 2025.

Under its new ‘Mobil Lithium’ brand, US oil company ExxonMobil is aiming to become a leading supplier of lithium for the electric vehicle industry by 2030.

LG Chem, together with LX Hausys, has developed a material that can withstand a flame of 1,500 degrees Celsius for more than 20 minutes.

The Chinese government has announced it will require export licenses for certain graphite products to protect national security. This comes in response to efforts to challenge global production dominance in critical minerals. China is the world’s leading producer and exporter of graphite, processing more than 90 percent of the world’s material used in virtually all electric car anodes. Beijing’s decision to require export licenses comes when numerous foreign governments are increasing pressure on Chinese companies over their industrial practices. The European Union is considering imposing tariffs on Chinese-made electric cars, believing they benefit from unfair subsidies. At the same time, the U.S. government has significantly restricted Chinese companies’ access to semiconductors and halted sales of advanced artificial intelligence chips from Nvidia and other manufacturers. These measures are intensifying efforts by mining companies outside China to pursue graphite projects and leading to increased research into alternatives. Under the new restrictions, exporters must apply for a permit to ship two types of graphite starting Dec. 1: high-purity, high-strength synthetic graphite material and natural flake graphite and their derivatives. Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-require-export-permits-some-graphite-products-dec-1-2023-10-20/

Canada and the province of Ontario are providing financial support of up to one billion Canadian dollars to Belgian company Umicore for a battery component factory.

The joint venture between Volkswagen subsidiary PowerCo and Belgian materials technology group Umicore plans to build its first plant for cathode materials. IONWAY will build a plant directly next to Umicore’s existing facility in Nysa, Poland. The main objective of this joint venture is to produce precursor (pCAM) and cathode active materials (CAM). Umicore and Volkswagen aim to expand Ionway’s annual production capacity to 160 gigawatt hours per year by the end of the decade. The investment in Poland is expected to create about 900 jobs in Nysa by the end of the decade and is supported by the Polish government. The latter is offering €350 million in cash grants for a total investment of up to €1.7 billion by the end of the decade. This investment is in line with the Green Deal Industrial Plan and promotes the Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework. This framework supports actions in sectors critical to the transition to a “net zero” economy. Site preparation, planning, and permitting are underway, and construction will begin as soon as the permitting process is completed. Umicore’s existing production capacities in Nysa will ensure that the cathode material requirements of the PowerCo cell plant in Salzgitter are covered at the start of production in 2025. Source: https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/press-releases/new-european-battery-materials-player-ionway-locates-first-production-plant-in-nysa-poland-17738

U.S.-based battery producer and materials specialist Lyten has announced that it has selected Luxembourg as the location for its European headquarters. Lyten is a manufacturer of 3D graphene supermaterials used in various applications, including lithium-sulfur batteries. The company plans to begin supplying lithium-sulfur batteries and other products to commercial customers from its San Jose, California, facility in early 2024. It is pursuing expansion plans actively in both the U.S. and Europe. The company is currently exploring the possibility of establishing research and development capabilities in Luxembourg. Lyten recently announced a Series B financing round in which several strategic Fortune 500 investors, including Stellantis, FedEx and Honeywell, invested $200 million. This capital will be used to scale production and bring products such as lithium-sulfur batteries to market. Luxembourg has set ambitious climate targets under Fit for 55, aiming to reduce emissions by 55 percent from 2005 levels by 2030, as required by law. This legal framework contains important milestones to achieve the goal of a climate-neutral economy in Luxembourg by 2050. Source: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231005565098/en/Lyten-Pioneer-of-3D-Graphene-Materials-and-the-Lithium-Sulfur-Battery-to-Establish-Its-European-Headquarters-in-Luxembourg

CNGR Advanced Material, Chinese manufacturer of precursors for active cathode materials of lithium-ion batteries, collaborates with Al Mada to establish a battery materials production and recycling facility in Morocco.

OCSiAl, a leading provider of graphene nanotube technologies, has received construction approval for a nanotube production facility near Belgrade, Serbia. The new nanotube synthesis plant will be launched in 2024 and will have a planned annual capacity of 120 tonnes per year. This plant will not only produce nanotubes but also produce high-quality nanotube suspensions for lithium-ion battery manufacturers in Europe, the U.S., and Asia. This volume is expected to be sufficient to significantly improve the performance of more than 1 million electric cars. The nanotubes play a critical role in creating electrical networks between active material particles in batteries, resulting in longer life, higher C-rate performance, and better cohesion between active material particles. Graphene nanotubes also enable the development of new battery technologies, including high-silicon anodes, thick LFP cathodes, fast-charging graphite anodes, and more. They are highly versatile and find application in both conventional and innovative battery technologies such as dry deposition and solid-state batteries. Source: https://ocsial.com/news/ocsial-is-constructing-a-graphene-nanotube-facility-in-europe-to-enhance-1-mln-electric-cars-per-year/

The new South Korean “EcoPro Cam Canada LP” subsidiary plans to construct a battery cathode plant in Canada worth around 830 million euros.