Australian innovator Altech Chemicals Ltd. said that it has signed a final construction contract for the anode pilot plant in Schwarze Pump in Saxony, Germany with the domestic engineering firm of Küttner GmbH & Co. KG (Küttner).
Altech says Küttner already has the final engineering design and cost estimate in hand. The firm said it would immediately begin procurement, and construction would likely begin late this year after materials are on site.
The plant will ultimately produce 120 kg of battery anode material coated with Altech’s trademarked Silumina Anodes. The new anodes will soon be available to Europe’s automakers and battery manufacturing firms.
Altech estimates that the pilot plant will cost A$7.177 million to construct, with A$5.382 million is funded by Altech, while Altech Advanced Materials AG will kick in another A$1.794 million.
Altech did not disclose financial terms of the agreement.
Altech Chemicals is based in Subiaco, Western Australia and is attempting to implement a marketable process for delivering 99.99% (4N) HPA using conventional equipment at a lower production cost than methods currently available. It plans to construct a 4,500 metric ton per annum HPA plant at Tanjung Langsat Industrial Complex, Johor, Malaysia that will use kaolin clay from a company-owned mine in Meckering, Western Australia. The firm is fast-tracking HPA production due to an agreement with Mitsubishi for 100% of its proposed HPA production for ten years.