Sicona Battery Technologies, an innovative Australian company specialising in battery materials, announced its expansion into the United States battery component market.
The move involves the establishment of its inaugural commercial production facilities in the southeastern United States, strategically located near the heart of the US battery and electric vehicle manufacturing hub, the company said in a media release.
Collaborating with global engineering and construction leader Bechtel, Sicona has recently completed front-end engineering design studies.
The company is now proceeding with the phased development of a silicon-carbon anode materials production plant, capable of producing 6,700 tonnes per annum (tpa).
This expansion positions Sicona to become the largest producer of silicon-carbon anode materials in the United States, surpassing the approximately 5,800 tpa total capacity of silicon-carbon plants currently under construction and development in the northwestern United States.
By the early 2030s, Sicona aims to expand its US production to reach a total output of 26,500 tpa, which would provide sufficient silicon-carbon anode materials to power over 3.25 million American electric vehicles (EVs).
Sicona said its SiCx technology aims for advancements in EV performance, including increased range and reduced charge times – two critical factors inhibiting rapid EV adoption in the United States.
These improvements align with the nation’s goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 52 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030.
Unlike methods reliant on expensive or environmentally intensive supply chains, Sicona’s technology offers a cost-effective and sustainable solution.
Leveraging its extensive intellectual property portfolio, Sicona produces Silicon-Carbon (Sicona SiCx) anode materials, delivering a more than 20 per cent increase in energy density over conventional graphite-only lithium-ion battery cells, and reducing charge times by over 40 per cent.
To support its US manufacturing plans, Sicona has initiated the supply of product samples and discussions with key customers. Qualification activities are expected to intensify over the next 12 to 18 months.
“Sicona’s vision is to be the largest silicon-carbon battery materials producer in the world and today’s announcement is the first major step towards the realisation of that goal,” stated Christiaan Jordaan, a representative of Sicona Battery Technologies.
“We believe by going mass scale with our technology we can have maximum impact on increasing the adoption of electric vehicles. This is because our product has a real impact on the charge time of an electric vehicle or how far you can drive your EV before recharging, which are two major factors holding people back from buying an EV.
Jordaan further remarked, “We are proud to be an Australian company leading the charge on the global stage and collaborating with valued partners like Bechtel to establish our first production facilities in the United States.”
Meanwhile, Justin Britt, Bechtel’s general manager for Electric Vehicles in Manufacturing & Technology, expressed confidence in the partnership.
“As the world works to lower its carbon footprint, Bechtel provides the predictability needed to realize design and construction of new battery value chain projects,” he stated.
