OneD Battery Sciences and Koch Modular Process Systems have announced a partnership centered around enabling large-scale production of silicon-graphite anode materials for the next generation of affordable EVs.
OneD Battery Sciences is a silicon anode technology company for EV batteries, and Koch Modular Process Systems specializes in the design and manufacturing of modular mass transfer systems for the chemical process industry. Both companies reported, “Together, we are excited to help scale up silicon-enhanced graphite production and help each customer achieve a more competitive global market position by combining our proven technology platforms.”
The use of silicon in the anode electrodes is broadly recognized to increase the energy density of EV batteries, thus reducing weight and increasing EV range. However, silicon anode mass adoption depends on finding ways to use silicon to reduce the cost of EV batteries.
As a proposed solution, the collaboration involves leveraging Koch Modular’s silane gas manufacturing expertise and OneD’s Sinanode technology to convert silane into nano-silicon inside graphite anode materials already qualified by EV cell makers.
According to OneD, the Sinanode platform is a low-cost, scalable manufacturing process that grows nano-silicon directly in the pores of EV-grade graphite powders selected by each customer.
According to the companies, the partnership is expected to scale up silane anode production by placing a modular silane plant adjacent to a Sinanode factory to process and add silicon inside EV-grade graphite powders from industrial suppliers. OneD and Koch Modular are currently designing the first integrated North American plant to produce 20,000 tons of silicon-graphite anode material per year, enough for the batteries of about 1,000,000 EVs annually.
Vincent Pluvinage, CEO and co-founder of OneD, said, “This strategic collaboration will enable the North American EV battery supply chain to reduce its dependency on overseas anode material imports and meet the urgent need for OEMs to compete with the next generation of more affordable EVs.”
George Schlowsky, president of Koch Modular, added, “OneD has a unique approach to reducing risks and costs by placing our silane modular plant adjacent to the Sinanode processing plant and co-locating these two facilities next to EV-grade graphite production and EV cell factories in North America and Europe.”
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