AUSTRALIAN BATTERY MATERIALS INNOVATOR ANNOUNCES EXPANSION INTO US

SICONA BECOMES THE LARGEST PRODUCER OF SILICONE CARBON ANOD MATERIALS IN THE UNITED STATES

SYDNEY, April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Sicona Battery Technologies, an Australian battery materials innovator, today announced its expansion into the fast-growing United States battery components market with the development of the first commercial manufacturing facilities in the Southeast United States near the geographic heart of America’s growing battery and electric vehicle manufacturing center.

Having recently completed front-end technical design studies with global engineering and construction leader Bechtel, Sicona is moving forward with the phased development of a silicon-carbon anode materials production plant with a capacity of 6,700 tonnes per year (tpa). This development will make Sicona the largest producer of silicon-carbon anode materials in the world the United States this exceeds the total silicocarbon plants of approximately 5,800 tons per year under construction and development in the northwestern United States.

By the early 2030s, Sicona plans to eventually expand its U.S. production to a total output of 26,500 tons per year, enough silicon-carbon anode materials to supply more than 3.25m American electric vehicles (EVs).

Sicona SiC_X^™can deliver significant improvements in today’s electric cars through longer range and shorter charging times, two known major inhibitors to rapid electric car adoption around the world. the United Statesand which are critical factors in achieving stated U.S. goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions ~52% below 2005 levels by 2030.

Leveraging its extensive intellectual property portfolio, Sicona produces silicon-carbon (Sicona SiC_X^™) anode materials that boost lithium-ion batteries, increasing energy density by more than 20% over conventional graphite-only lithium-ion battery cells and reducing charging times by more than 40%.

Furthermore, Sicona’s technology does not rely on expensive, hazardous, bottlenecked or emissions-intensive supply chains like silane gas. This allows Sicona’s customers to access unrivaled pricing and economies of scale for maximum positive impacts from a ‘drop-in’ material, without incurring significant costs and disruptive re-engineering in their battery production facilities.

Using a top-down process, Sicona has cracked a highly efficient mechanical silicon metal reduction to create uniform nanoparticles. Further treatment in specialized carbon coating processes creates the unique material qualities that customers demand.

To support US production plans, Sicona has begun supplying product samples and initiating offtake discussions with key customers, with qualification activities expected to increase significantly over the next 12 to 18 months.

“Sicona’s vision is to be the largest producer of silicon-carbon battery materials in the world and today’s announcement is the first major step toward realizing that goal,” said Mr. Jordaan.

“We believe that by using our technology at scale, we can have maximum impact on increasing electric vehicle adoption. This is because our product has a real impact on the charging time of an electric vehicle or how far you can drive your EV before charging it. These are two major factors that prevent people from buying an EV.

“We are proud to be an Australian company leading on the world stage, working with our valued partners like Bechtel to establish our first manufacturing facilities in the United States.

“We believe in our proposed project the United States will advance a sustainable energy future that expands and secures the domestic U.S. battery ecosystem and creates high-quality jobs and economic opportunities for the local community.”

“As the world works to reduce its carbon footprint, Bechtel provides the predictability needed to realize the design and construction of new projects across the battery value chain,” said Justin Britt, Bechtel’s general manager for electric vehicles in manufacturing and technology. “Bechtel offers a full range of project delivery services so our clients can realize their vision.”

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/australian-battery-materials-innovator-announces-us-expansion-302123037.html

SOURCE Sicona Battery Technologies