Page 176 - CW E-Magazine (16-4-2024)

News from Abroad

BATTERY MATERIAL
Nexeon begins work on its first silicon anode material

production site in Korea

Nexeon, the UK-based firm deve-
loping silicon anode materials for lith-
ium-ion batteries, has announced the
groundbreaking of its first commercial
production facility in Gunsan, South
Korea. With this move, Nexeon said
it is on track to deliver silicon anode
material starting in 2025, fulfilling the
previously announced binding supply
agreement with Japanese conglome-
rate, Panasonic.

“By beginning construction on our
first commercial production site, we
are on track to deliver the game-chang-
ing benefits of silicon anode materials
to the global battery market,” said
Mr. Scott Brown, CEO of Nexeon.
making silicon anodes. The contract aligning with Nexeon’s sustainability
Nexeon’s silicon anode materials was valued at around $55-mn. OCI had mission. Additionally, OCI has the
significantly increase the energy density said that it would establish a new plant capability to scale production alongside
of lithium-ion batteries, a key factor with a production capacity of 1-ktpa on Nexeon, ensuring a reliable supply of
in extending the range, and improving an idle land within its Gunsan plant, raw materials far into the future to meet
charging performance of electric vehi- which mainly produces polysilicon for growing market demands,” Nexeon
cles. The company’s second-generation semiconductors and phosphoric acid. informed in a press note.
“drop-in” technology allows battery
makers to easily integrate higher silicon OCI will produce silane by utilising Mr. Yoo-Shin Kim, President (CEO)
content into their existing production pro- by-products from its existing manu- of OCI said, “This collaboration lever-
cesses without requiring additional capi- facturing process used for semicon- ages the strengths of both companies,
tal expenditure. ductor materials, further compounding combining OCI’s expertise in advanced
cost-competitiveness. materials with Nexeon’s leading silicon
By 2030, the new facility will have anode technology. Together, we will
the capacity to produce significant vol- “The dedicated pipeline for silane deliver high-quality, cost-competitive
umes of material annually, allowing delivery streamlines production and solutions that accelerate the future of
Nexeon to supply its pipeline of cus- minimises transportation costs – while battery technology.”
tomers globally.
Ascend to increase prices on nylon
Fenceline supply of silane
Nexeon’s plant is co-located site polymers, compounds
with OCI, a Korean polysilicon manu-
facturer and one of the world’s largest Ascend Performance Materials, pounds. The prices of neat PA66 poly-
manufacturers of silane outside of the US-based integrated producer mer, PA6 and PA66 compounds has
China. In July last year, Nexeon and OCI of nylon 6,6, has announced a new been hiked by $0.30/kg. These price
signed a long-term supply contract for round of global price increases on increases take effect from April 15,
silane, an essential raw material for its polyamide polymers and com- 2024.

176 Chemical Weekly April 16, 2024

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