ASX-listed battery specialist UltraCharge Limited (ASX: UTR) has revealed plans to expand its production of nanotube material in a pilot project with one of the world’s leading battery energy storage solution providers, Leclanché SA.
The Israeli-headquartered company said the increased production capability will also assist in meeting growing demand from other end users.
UltraCharge and Leclanché have signed an MOU to seek cost competitive and large-scale manufacturing of a high-cycling, fast-charging and high energy density battery for the electric vehicle market. The pilot project involves testing and evaluating the UltraCharge’s titanium dioxide nanotube technology.
UltraCharge has already demonstrated significant progress in the successful synthesis of its nanofiber anode material using its pilot reactor, producing 50g/day of anode material.
To meet the requirements for stage 2 of the project, the company has ordered a 55L reactor to increase production capacity by 25 times.
According to the company the new equipment will enable the production of at least 250kgs of anode material per year, which will be more than sufficient to facilitate the increased demand from Leclanché as it continues to test the material in its battery manufacturing plant.
UltraCharge CEO, Kobi Ben-Shabat, said the addition of the new reactor to its facility is an important step in delivering on its milestones and business strategy and will not only help to progress its partnership with Leclanché, but will also provide additional capacity to meet demand from new customers.
He revealed that the company is in discussions with several potential clients.
“We are making excellent progress on our pilot project with Leclanché, and I am confident that the new reactor will allow us to upscale our production processes and deliver the quantities needed for Leclanché to build a battery prototype for testing. I look forward to updating the market on the results of the testing and the next stage of the project.”
Leclanché, one of the world’s leading energy storage solution companies, recently announced a partnership with Fastned, a Dutch company pioneering the roll-out of fast charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs) in Europe. Leclanché and Skoda Electric have also signed an agreement in which Leclanché will provide battery solutions for Skoda’s electric bus expansion strategy.