Altech (ASX: ATC, FRA: A3Y) powers ahead in battery space with FY23 developments - Kalkine Media

Highlights

• Altech successfully move forward with its two key battery projects during FY23.
• A joint venture agreement was executed with German government owned Fraunhofer to commercialise CERENERGY^® sodium-chloride batteries for grid storage.
• The DFS for supporting the commercialisation of CERENERGY^® batteries has commenced and is nearing finalisation.
• Construction of Silumina Anodes^TM pilot plant in Saxony advanced.

Altech Batteries Limited (ASX: ATC, FRA: A3Y) has reported another year of major developments in the battery space. In its recently released annual report, the Company shared significant progress across its two key battery projects - CERENERGY^® Sodium Chloride Solid State (SCSS) battery and Silumina Anodes^TM battery materials.

The SCSS CERENERGY^® battery project is a grid storage alternative to lithium-ion batteries, as CERENERGY^® batteries are fire and explosion proof with a life span of over 15 years. They also hold the ability to operate in extreme cold and desert climates. Importantly, CERENERGY® batteries do not rely on critical minerals such as lithium, copper, cobalt graphite or manganese. Rather, the batteries rely on sodium-chloride (common table salt) technology.

Altech’s patented Silumina Anodes^TM technology aims at expanding lithium battery capacity. This project involves combining silicon and graphite, and then coating this composite product with a nanometre layer of high-purity alumina, for inclusion in lithium battery anodes.

Post the financial year 2023, Altech completed a capital raise of AU$15.8 million. The Company is well funded to advance both its German battery projects.

CERENERGY^® SCSS battery project makes headway

A joint venture shareholders’ agreement was executed with Fraunhofer in September 2022 to commercialise its CERENERGY^® SCSS battery. Under the project, ATC has a 56.25% ownership, with Fraunhofer 25% free carried. The SCSS batteries are in the last stage of product testing and are all set to commercialise.

As part of the agreement, the partners have decided to construct a 100 MWh battery plant on Altech’s land in Saxony, Germany. The proposed plant would have an annual production capacity of 100 SCSS GridPacks, rated at 1MWh each.

Since the joint venture was executed, the project has seen the launch and release of battery specifications for the CERENERGY^®  60 KWh battery pack and 1MWh GridPack battery products. In addition to this, the production and fabrication of two 60 KWh battery pack prototypes commenced at the Fraunhofer facility in Hermsdorf, Germany.

In FY23, the joint venture commenced a definitive feasibility study (DFS) concerning the plant that is expected to be finalised by the fourth quarter of 2023.

Developments across Silumina Anodes^TM battery minerals project

The Company advanced developments in relation to its Silumina Anodes^TM technology throughout the year.

Image source: Company update

Highlights of the period are:

• Preparations has begun for a DFS concerning a 10,000tpa plant for producing Silumina Anodes^TM products, to be built on Altech’s land in Germany.
• R&D laboratories in Perth have been expanded to enable the production of pouch cell-size batteries to move to the project's next stage.
• The construction of the Silumina Anodes^TM pilot plant is near completion. This pilot plant is being designed for a daily production of 120kg of Silumina Anodes^TM product for distribution to potential customers and support in securing an offtake agreement.
• For Silumina Anodes^TM qualification and to expedite the testing, a strategic partnership continued with Fraunhofer IKTS. This partnership is expected to help in early entry into the market.

The pilot plant is expected to be commissioned during 4Q23. 

ATC shares traded almost 3% up at AU$0.070 apiece at the time of writing on 5 October 2023.