Norwegian CENATE AS today announced the start of construction for a full scale pilot reactor for the production of Cenate’s Silicon Nano Robust. This is a new anode material for Lithium batteries that shall make it possible for the EV battery producers to both lower cost and increase energy storage density. The material is the result of intensive research and development over several years including extensive testing with some of the world’s leading battery producers, and is still being continuously optimized and improved.
– This new and unique reactor will have a capacity up to 100 metric tons per year and represents the key building block in our future commercial production plants, says Cenate CEO Erik Sauar. The production capacity is equivalent to nearly 200 000 EVs with today’s use of about 10% silicon in the anode. Together with our world leading customers, however, we target to stepwise raise this silicon fraction further, adds Sauar.
The reactor will be built and commissioned by Dynatec Engineering in collaboration with Cenate and with financial support from Innovation Norway. It is being built at Holtskogen Naeringspark, a new industrial site between Oslo and Askim.
Silicon is the most abundant element on earth after oxygen. Each kilogram of silicon can replace up to 10 kg of graphite. Hence both the environmental footprint of the production of EVs as well as the environmental footprint from the driving of the vehicles will be improved. When the battery no longer can be reused or recycled, the material will slowly degrade to again become one of the most common materials on earth.
