BatteryTech News & Updates – 2024 #26
Julian Renpenning
Scientific-Technological Marketing & Business Development | Battery Tech Enthusiast | B2B Marketing Expert | Consultant | Former Scientist, PhD, Postdoc
Hello battery tech community and EV professionals. Here is your weekly roundup of noteworthy developments in global battery technology and the electric vehicle market. Enjoy! - Julian
?? Northvolt Reviewing Plans For New Swedish Gigafactory
Northvolt is conducting a strategic review of plans to build a new lithium-ion battery plant in Borl?nge, central Sweden. The company has not yet made a final decision on the project. A Swedish newspaper (Dagens Industri) reported that the project would be canceled, citing a municipal official. Northvolt said it was in ongoing discussions with several parties, including the local municipality.
?? BASF & Emaret Cancel Plans For Nickel-Cobalt Refinery In Indonesia
German chemical company 巴斯夫 and French minerals company Eramet have suspended plans for a nickel-cobalt refinery in Indonesia's Weda Bay. The investment was estimated at $2.6 billion and had been under consideration since early 2023. BASF cited significant changes in the global nickel market and evolving supply options as reasons for the cancellation. To ensure a stable metal supply for its battery materials business, the company no longer sees the need for such a large investment.
?? The EU Has Slightly Revised Its Proposed Tariffs On Chinese EVs
The EU has slightly revised its proposed tariffs on imported EVs from certain Chinese automakers after receiving more business details from them. SAIC 's proposed tariff has been reduced from 38.1% to 37.6%, while 吉利控股集团 Automobile Holding's tariff has been lowered from 20% to 19.9%. These reductions are minimal, but may signal the EU's openness to further negotiations before the tariffs are imposed. Other Chinese automakers face proposed additional tariffs of 20.8% (for those who cooperated with the anti-subsidy probe) and 37.6% (for those who didn't).
?? CATL’s Electric Aircraft Batteries Targets 3,000 km Range By 2027-2028
宁德时代新能源科技股份有限公司 (CATL) is making significant progress in developing electric aircraft batteries and plans to power 8-ton aircraft capable of flying 2,000-3,000 km by 2027-2028 using its high-energy density battery technology. CATL has already successfully test-flown a 4-ton civil electric aircraft. The project uses CATL's Condensed Battery technology, which has an energy density of up to 500 Wh/kg in a single cell. This energy density is twice that of current mainstream EV batteries.
?? ExxonMobil and SK On Join Forces To Boost U.S. EV Battery Production
埃克森美孚 and SK On have signed a memorandum of understanding that could disrupt the electric vehicle (EV) battery supply chain in the United States. The agreement explores a potential multi-year supply of up to 100,000 metric tons of lithium from ExxonMobil's planned Arkansas project to SK On's U.S. EV battery manufacturing facilities. This collaboration aims to support ExxonMobil's goal of supplying lithium for approximately 1 million EV batteries per year by 2030.?
?? Lithium Prices Continue to Fall in China, Global Markets Show Mixed Trends
Spot lithium prices in China's domestic market continued to decline in the week ending June 20, driven by continued weak demand from the battery sector and prevailing bearish sentiment. Fastmarkets reported that battery grade lithium carbonate prices in China fell to 92,000-94,000 yuan per tonne, while battery grade lithium hydroxide prices fell to 83,000-90,000 yuan per tonne. While Chinese prices plummeted, the CIF China, Japan and Korea (CJK) lithium market remained relatively stable. However, industry insiders are monitoring the situation closely, anticipating potential spillover effects from the declining Chinese market.
?? Graphite One Secures Increased DoD Support For Feasibility Study
Graphite One Inc. has announced a significant increase in U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) support for its Graphite Creek project. The revised Defense Production Act grant contract increases the DoD cost share from 50% to 75% for the Company's accelerated feasibility study. With a new contract value of $49.8 million, the maximum DoD contribution is now $37.3 million. The feasibility study, focused on the Graphite Creek deposit in Alaska - considered the largest in the U.S. - is expected to be completed by December 2024. This project is part of Graphite One's ambitious plan to develop a complete U.S.-based graphite supply chain, addressing the nation's current 100% import dependency on natural graphite.
?? Ascend Elements Supplies Recycled Cathode Material To Freudenberg
Ascend Elements , a US company specializing in the production of battery materials from black mass, has delivered its first recycled cathode material to the Freudenberg Group e-Power Systems plant in Midland, Michigan. The material is being validated for use in commercial vehicle batteries. Ascend Elements uses a "hydro-to-cathode" process that aims to reduce the carbon footprint of new cathode materials by up to 90% by 2030. The process can directly convert black mass from recycled EV batteries into new cathode materials, potentially eliminating up to 15 process steps.
?? Sila Raises $375 Million For Silicon Anode Production
Sila Nanotechnologies, Inc. , a next-generation battery materials company, has raised $375 million in a Series G funding round. The round was led by existing investors Sutter Hill Ventures and T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. with participation from new and existing investors. The funds will be used to complete Sila's Moses Lake facility in Q1 2025, enabling delivery of Titan Silicon anode material to automotive customers in Q4 2025. Mercedes-Benz, Panasonic and three undisclosed customers have secured contracts for Titan Silicon from the Moses Lake facility.
?? Li Industries Closes $42M in Series B Funding, Announces New Investors
Li Industries has closed its Series B funding round with an additional $6 million commitment from investors. This brings total Series B funding to $42 million and total funding to date to more than $50 million. New investors include General Motors (GM) Ventures, DNX Ventures and Tech Energy Ventures. The company plans to expand its 10,000-ton recycling facility and further develop its recycling technologies.?
?? Feon Energy Secures $6.1M Seed Funding For Next-Gen Battery Tech
Stanford University spin-out Feon Energy, Inc. has announced a $6.1 million seed funding round led by Fine Structure Ventures with participation from several other investors. The advanced battery electrolyte startup is developing innovative solutions for next-generation batteries, including lithium metal and cobalt-free ultra-high voltage lithium-ion technologies. Feon's breakthrough is in the form of non-flammable liquid electrolytes that have enabled the creation of lithium metal batteries with 50% higher energy density than current lithium-ion batteries.
?? ElringKlinger Expands Into US E-Mobility Market With New Battery Center
German automotive supplier ElringKlinger has announced plans to open a new Battery Center in Easley, South Carolina, marking a significant step in its expansion into the growing US e-mobility market. The facility, set to commence operations in mid-2025, will primarily manufacture battery technology products, with an initial focus on cell contacting systems for a launching customer.
?? VW Will Invest Up To $5B Into Rivian To Form Joint Venture For Next-Gen EVs
Volkswagen will invest up to $5 billion in Rivian to form a joint venture focused on the development of next-generation electric vehicles, providing Rivian with needed capital and giving VW access to Rivian's software expertise. The partnership includes a $1 billion convertible note from VW to Rivian that will convert to equity later this year, a 50/50 joint venture on next-generation electrical/electronic architecture, and a potential additional $4 billion investment from VW in 2025-2026 if milestones are met.
?? BMW Begins Construction Of Battery Plant In Lower Bavaria
Construction has begun on the 宝马 's new assembly plant for high-voltage batteries in Irlbach-Stra?kirchen, Lower Bavaria. Installation of the production equipment for high-voltage batteries will begin in 2025, after the shell has been completed. The plant is part of the BMW Group's global production network, which is building five such facilities on three continents to supply automotive plants with next-generation high-voltage batteries.
?? Princeton NuEnergy Breaks Ground On Innovative Battery Recycling Facility
Princeton NuEnergy (PNE) has commenced construction on a groundbreaking lithium-ion battery recycling facility in Chester County, South Carolina. This state-of-the-art plant will utilize PNE's patented low-temperature, plasma-assisted separation process (LPAS?) to recycle battery materials with over 95% efficiency. The facility is set to produce more than 10,000 tons of battery-grade cathode material annually, sufficient for manufacturing over 100,000 electric vehicle batteries.?
?? Rock Tech Secures Up to €100 Million In Grants For German Lithium Refinery
Rock Tech Lithium has announced a significant milestone in its plans to build Europe's first lithium converter in Guben, Germany. The company is set to receive up to €100 million in direct grants, with €90 million coming from Brandenburg's Ministry for Economic Affairs, Labour and Energy, and an additional €10 million expected from the Federal German Railway Authority for infrastructure development. This funding marks a crucial step towards realizing the Guben Converter project, which aims to produce 24,000 tonnes of Lithium-Hydroxide-Monohydrate annually.
?? ION Storage Systems Secures $40 Million For Solid-State Battery Commercialization
Maryland-based Ion Storage Systems has announced a major leap forward in its mission to bring advanced solid-state batteries (SSBs) to market. The company has secured a $40 million commercialization initiative, with half the funding coming from the US Department of Energy's ARPA-E SCALEUP program and the remainder from private partners. The project aims to establish gigawatt-hour scale production of high-energy density, fast-charging batteries for electric vehicles and other applications.
?? Highstar Battery Achieves World’s First IEC Certification for Sodium-Ion Batteries
Highstar Sodium-ion Battery has made a groundbreaking achievement by receiving the world’s first IEC certification for its NaCR46145-20Ah sodium-ion cylindrical battery at the China International Battery Fair (CIBF). This certification sets a new global benchmark for safety standards in the sodium-ion battery industry. The company has developed a range of sodium-ion batteries, including 5 cylindrical models with capacities from 1.3Ah to 20.0Ah and 5 prismatic models with capacities from 50Ah to 220Ah.
?? E3 Lithium Announces Promising Pre-Feasibility Study for Alberta Lithium Project
E3 Lithium has announced compelling results from its Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) for the Clearwater Project in Alberta, Canada. The study outlines a potentially game-changing lithium production facility with strong economic indicators and a focus on sustainability. The project has Canada's first proven lithium-in-brine mineral reserve of 1.29 million tons of LHM, with a larger resource base of 18.4 million tons of LHM in the Bashaw District.
?? JordProxa and Zelandez Join Forces To Accelerate Lithium Supply
JordProxa and Zelandez have announced a strategic partnership aimed at accelerating the supply of lithium carbonate from brine mining operations throughout the Americas. The collaboration brings together Zelandez's expertise in lithium brine field technology with JordProxa's expertise in modular plant design. "This collaboration is a game changer for the lithium industry," said Gene Morgan, CEO of Zelandez. "By combining our technologies and expertise, we're not just increasing supply - we're revolutionizing how lithium projects achieve early cash flow."
?? High-purity Lithium From Germany For Future Battery Production
German energy company EnBW and lithium processor LevertonHELM have successfully produced high-purity lithium carbonate from geothermal brine, marking a significant milestone in sustainable lithium production for Europe's growing battery industry. The project used direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology to extract lithium from EnBW's geothermal plant in Bruchsal, Germany. LevertonHELM then refined the solution at its UK facility, achieving a remarkable 99.5% purity suitable for direct use in battery cathode materials.
?? Swiss Battery Upcycling Company Libattion Secures €14 Million In Funding
Libattion , a Swiss startup specializing in the upcycling of used electric vehicle batteries, has raised €14 million in a recent funding round. Founded in 2018, the Zurich-based company transforms retired EV batteries into modular stationary energy storage systems using proprietary algorithms and control systems to extend battery life. The financing round was led by A&G Energy Transition Tech Fund, with participation from Teknia, HCapital New Ideas II, and EBL.?
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4 个月Thank you for the cool summary??