Dear battery enthusiast,
Welcome to Battery Associates’ August Newsletter. We have summarised some of the month’s most relevant battery news, highlighting technology and research development, and updates from Battery Associates.
Battery Newsletter structure:
Battery Industry Highlights
B.A Editorial
Product Launch offer
Battery Insiders Podcast
B.A Updates & Events
Battery Industry Highlights
In this section, we have summarised relevant battery news from the past month.
On August 16, CATL unveiled its Shenxing super-fast charging LFP battery technology. CATL claims that their Shenxing battery technology can provide a driving range of 400 km in 10 minutes of fast charging and a 700 km driving range on a single full charge. CATL plans to commence mass production of this new Shenxing technology-powered battery pack by the end of 2023.
B.A Commentary: CATL launches various battery products every year to attract new customers, such as the introduction of their CTP 3.0 technology and the development of condensed matter battery chemistry. Now, CATL has announced their new 4C fast-charging battery pack powered by LFP cells. They have utilized their recently developed CTP 3.0 battery pack design architecture, which has a volume utilization efficiency of 72%. At room temperature, the new Shenxing battery pack can be charged to 80% in 10 minutes, and at low temperatures, this battery pack can be charged in 30 minutes.
On August 8, General Motors announced its plans to integrate Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) bidirectional charging technology into its Ultium-based electric vehicles by 2026. It is expected that GM will introduce V2H technology-enabled EVs for several models in its portfolio, including the GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Chevrolet Equinox EV, Cadillac LYRIQ, and Cadillac ESCALADE IQ, all by 2024.
B.A Commentary: GM established GM Energy as a new business unit in October 2022, with a vision to cater to the energy needs of commercial, residential, and charging sectors. In the residential segment, GM Energy launched a residential battery strategy solution called "Powervault" and partnered with SunPower to offer solar solutions. They also introduced bi-directional charging technology, allowing for power transfer between vehicles, homes, and the grid.
In the commercial segment, GM Energy developed a large-scale battery pack similar to Tesla's Megapack. Additionally, GM Energy created a cloud-based product that serves as a repository for data and management software. This centralized hub of GM Energy's products is accessible to residential, fleet, and commercial customers, enabling them to efficiently manage their energy consumption through software applications.
On August 17, EcoProBM, SK On, and Ford made an announcement regarding a significant investment of CAD 1.2 billion dollars to construct a cathode manufacturing facility in Québec, Canada. This facility will have an annual production capacity of 45,000 tonnes of cathode active materials (CAM) per year. Mass production of CAM is anticipated to commence in the first half of 2026.
B.A Commentary: Formed in February 2023, EcoPro CAM Canada is a joint venture involving Ford, SK On, and EcoPro BM. It will supply Cathode Active Materials (CAM) to Ford and SK On's North American Li-ion battery manufacturing facility. The venture secured CAD 322 million dollars from the Strategic Innovation Fund and a partially forgivable loan of CAD 322 million dollars from the Government of Quebec.
On August 17, Hyundai and LG Energy Solution made a joint announcement of an additional investment of USD 2 billion dollars in their battery cell manufacturing joint venture located in Georgia, USA. This additional funding brings the total investment estimate for the proposed joint venture to over USD 7.59 billion dollars, further solidifying their commitment to expanding battery cell manufacturing in the United States.
B.A Commentary: In May 2022, Hyundai and LG Energy Solutions unveiled a USD 4.3 billion dollars investment plan to construct a Li-ion battery manufacturing facility in Georgia. Recently, they bolstered this investment with an additional USD 2 billion dollars. This facility is located close to Hyundai's independent USD 5.5 billion dollars manufacturing complex in Georgia. Furthermore, non-affiliated suppliers of the Hyundai Motor Group are also contributing around USD 1 billion dollars to the region. Since 2018, Georgia has attracted a total of at least USD 11 billion dollars in battery-related investments.
On August 8, EVE Energy held a groundbreaking ceremony for its Li-ion battery manufacturing facility located in Kedah, Malaysia. EVE Energy has made a substantial investment of USD 422 million dollars in this facility. The company has stated that the facility will focus on producing cylindrical cells intended for use in power tools and two-wheelers.
B.A Commentary: In May 2022, as part of EVE Energy's global expansion strategy, they made an investment in Malaysia to broaden their footprint in global battery manufacturing. EVE Energy has not disclosed specific details regarding production capacity or the start of production in Malaysia. Additionally, EVE Energy has invested 1 billion euros in Hungary and has plans to further establish its presence in the North American market. Notably, EVE Energy has been chosen as one of the three battery suppliers for BMW’s electric vehicles worldwide.
On August 7, LG Energy Solutions and Huayou Recycling, a subsidiary of Huayou Cobalt, jointly announced their plans to establish two recycling facilities in China. The first of these facilities will be a pretreatment plant to be constructed in Nanjing, where LG Energy Solutions is currently operating its Li-ion production facility. The second facility will be a post-processing plant established in Quzhou, strategically located to leverage Huayou Cobalt's existing infrastructure. These recycling facilities are anticipated to commence production by late 2024.
B.A Commentary: LG Energy Solutions has formed a partnership with Huayou Recycling, a subsidiary of Huayou Cobalt, marking their first collaboration. This joint venture will handle battery scrap from LG Energy Solutions' Nanjing Li-ion battery manufacturing facility and the waste batteries collected by Huayou Recycling. The recycling process will recover metals like nickel, cobalt, and lithium, which will then be supplied back to LG Energy Solutions' Nanjing plant.
On August 10, Jiangxi Julian commenced construction of a solid-state Li-ion battery manufacturing facility in Jiangxi, China, with an estimated annual nameplate production capacity of 10GWh. This project is designed to be executed in two phases and will require an overall investment of USD 1.3 billion dollars (RMB 10 billion). During the first phase, the facility will have an annual production capacity of 2GWh for solid-state cell assembly and an additional 2GWh for pack assembly.
B.A Commentary: Shenzhen Fuxin, founded in 2019 and indirectly linked to Jiangxi Judian, a solid-state battery manufacturer, is entering the solid-state battery market. They plan to use these batteries in energy storage systems, a departure from the usual focus on electric vehicles. However, details about the battery's specifications, such as energy density, are yet to be revealed. This shift hints at a broader application of solid-state batteries in the energy storage sector.
On August 24, the US Department of Energy (DOE) announced its intention to release a funding opportunity worth USD 37 million. This funding aims to accelerate innovative advancements in electric vehicle battery recycling, transportation, and design. It is intended to support initiatives related to electric vehicle technology and will be provided under the bipartisan Infrastructure law (BIL).
B.A Commentary: The bipartisan US Infrastructure law has earmarked $7 billion to bolster the country's battery supply chain infrastructure. In line with this, the US Department of Energy (DOE) has unveiled its intention to allocate $37 million in funding. This funding aims primarily to drive down the costs related to battery recycling. It will support technologies, processes, and product designs that streamline the transport, disassembly, and preprocessing of end-of-life electric vehicle batteries.
B.A Editorial B.A Editorial is a monthly news article curated by the B.A Community
"The Surge of Investment in Battery Supply Chain in the U.S. Market"
Since the introduction of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the United States has attracted over $110 billion in capital investments for clean energy manufacturing initiatives. A substantial portion, exceeding $70 billion, has been earmarked specifically for the development of electric vehicle (EV) and battery supply chains in various regions of the country.
The U.S. has not only witnessed significant investment from downstream players such as battery and pack manufacturers but also a substantial influx of capital from midstream and upstream entities. In addition to concerns about inflation and high-interest rates, the U.S. government's generous grants and tax exemptions, provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), have positioned the U.S. market as an attractive destination for battery manufacturers.
Over the past year, we have observed a continuous stream of capital flowing from various local and international companies keen on establishing battery and battery supply chain-related facilities in the U.S. Recently, we have noticed existing companies increasing their capital investments to expand their production capacity and meet the growing demand in the battery market.
For instance, this month, the European battery manufacturer Northvolt secured USD 1.2 billion for its North American expansion plans, while American battery materials manufacturer and recycler Reedwood Materials raised USD 1 billion for its U.S. expansion. Additionally, Hyundai and LG Energy Solution's joint venture announced an additional $2 billion investment in their Georgia gigafactory to boost production capacity. Peregrine Energy Solutions has raised USD 700 million in credit, equity and debt to go towards its US pipeline of energy storage, solar, and wind projects.
Many OEMs and battery manufacturers are expanding their production capacity in the U.S. to leverage the benefits of the IRA."
Product Launch offer
Visit our updated EU Battery Regulation Briefings website (batteryregulation.eu).You are able to request an expert call and also access our AI-powered tool to understand the passed EU Battery Regulation. For any additional questions, please do not hesitate to reach out via info@batteryregulation.eu.
Website: Link
Battery Insiders Podcast Summary
Battery Associates runs a monthly podcast called Battery Insiders. Battery Insiders covers the role of batteries for sustainable development and battery-relevant topics featuring a range of battery experts and enthusiasts. Our podcast also includes the recordings of the Battery Revolution Clubhouse sessions co-hosted live by Mariam Awara. Battery Insiders is hosted by Bhavya Jha and Dr. Simon Engelke.
Talk on: Closing the loops in the battery value chain on the example of Catena-X automotive network
Speaker: Dr. Maria Fay, Sustainability & AI Director at SAP and Marius Pohl, Business Development Manager at Cofinity-X
Session Summary: Dr. Simon Engelke from Battery Associates hosted Dr. Maria Fay and Marius Pohl who spoke on Closing the loops in the battery value chain on the example of Catena-X automotive network. Listen to the episode here.
Battery Associates Updates & Events
Battery101
Battery Day 2023
BatteryMBA September Cohort
Battery101
Battery Associates is offering 1000 scholarships for Battery101, an on-demand entry-level course by 21st September 2023. This online and on-demand course is perfect for anyone eager to learn or refresh the basics about battery technology. You can also refer someone who could benefit from this course. Apply for a scholarship here. If you do not qualify for a scholarship, you can purchase and access the course here.
Battery Day 2023 Join us on Thursday, September 21, 2023, for our online annual event - Battery Day 2023. Register here. Battery Day 2023 will feature 6 panels and 6 deep dive sessions to facilitate up-to-date knowledge of different battery technologies, future chemistries, applications, and market insights from leading battery experts. Battery Day 2023 has secured 5 sponsors - Circulor, Accure & Twaice, Optel & Siemens! If you are interested in being involved in the event, please contact info@battery.associates. Sponsoring and speaking opportunities are still available for certain slots.
BatteryMBA Announcement
BatteryMBA’s ninth cohort starts on September 18, apply here! The course consists of an exciting battery case study track (with case studies from leading business schools). BatteryMBA alumni and participants work at Tesla, Airbus, JLR, Farasis Energy, Li-Cycle, Hitachi Energy, InoBat, AVL, Circulor, European Parliament, and many others. If you have any queries, reach out to us via email at info@battery.mba. Need-based scholarships and group discounts are available.
Battery Associates services
Battery Associates offers consultancy, innovation, and education services on a wide range of topics. Please get in touch if you're interested in any of our services!
About Battery Associates
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We are rapidly becoming a reference community for battery enthusiasts who want to tackle pressing environmental and energy-related challenges. Battery Associates currently unites battery experts working across the battery value supply chain, based in over 20 countries. We're growing, join us in our work!
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