Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials Scales Up Custom Electrolyte Production, Strengthens US Supply Chain for Lithium-ion Batteries.
Orbia Advance Corporation S.A.B. de C.V.’s (BMV: ORBIA*) Fluor & Energy Materials business today announced it will scale up its custom electrolyte offering for critical non-EV applications following a highly successful beta launch in 2023. The high quality, domestically produced lithium-ion battery electrolytes are commercially available now and further the business’ commitment to enable the clean energy transition with locally produced battery materials.
The lithium-ion battery chain is expected to grow by over 30 percent annually from 2022 to 2030, reaching a market value of over $400 billion1. The custom electrolyte offering plays a crucial role in optimizing performance, efficiency and safety of batteries used for consumer electronics, energy storage and other applications.
Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials successfully delivered its expanded electrolyte range to select U.S. customers at both R&D and production scale last year. After a positive response, Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials is extending the products to the wider U.S. lithium-ion battery producer market from its Madison, Wisconsin site. To support this output, a new 11,000 square foot production facility is under construction and will be operational in early 2024.
Gregg Smith, President of Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials, said:
We have been excited to see the positive response from select customers as well as domestic manufacturers for our custom electrolyte offering.
“Localizing supply of key battery components is a cornerstone of Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials’ strategy to enable the energy materials revolution, and our custom electrolyte solution is an example of that commitment in action.”
The business offers state-of-the-art formulation and blending capabilities that can support a wide range of battery applications, ranging from R&D to pilot to full-scale production. Commonly used solvents, salts and additives are kept in stock to support a four-week or less lead time on most common formulations. Additionally, unique performance additives can be incorporated.
Current customers benefiting from the custom electrolyte offering include Navitas Systems, Enovix, Lithion Battery, Forge Nano and their recently announced battery unit Forge Battery. These companies are developing and producing state-of-the-art lithium-ion cells for applications including energy storage systems, consumer electronics batteries, specialty industrial batteries and batteries for the U.S. military.
The national security importance of Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials’ technology and products is highlighted by the business’ recent $8.4 million contract awarded by the U.S. Department of Defense, which relies on a secure supply of high performance, safe and customized electrolytes for critical missions. The award was made possible through the support of U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), who has worked to secure federal funding in support of developing the rapidly growing lithium-ion battery industry in Wisconsin. Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials’ electrolyte research, development and production work supports high technology jobs in Madison and will lead to continued economic growth in this sector.
Sen. Baldwin said:
I’m proud to have secured federal funding to ensure our armed forces have the domestic battery technology they need to keep themselves and our country safe.
“I’m happy to support the partnership between Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials and our military, growing our Made in Wisconsin manufacturing workforce and helping power the tools that our men and women in uniform rely on.”
Miki Oljaca, Vice President of Growth and Technology for Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials, said:
Now is the right time to expand our supply to the growing battery development and manufacturing community.
“Our high quality, low lead time custom electrolyte offering will support varied applications including medical, consumer, industrial and defense market requirements. Our custom electrolyte production site is located close to our battery center of excellence R&D facility in Madison, Wisconsin, which will enable technical support and accelerated product development.”
The custom electrolyte offering was incubated at Silatronix, which was acquired by Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials in November of 2021. The Silatronix team brings decades of experience in developing electrolyte components, including electrolytes suited for the extreme safety and reliability demands of military applications.
Today’s announcement bolsters Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials’ overall strategic position as a key supplier of battery materials. With our recent announcement for our joint venture with SYENSQO (formally Solvay) to produce PVDF and our planned effort to produce domestic LiPF6 with support from a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE), Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials is working to ensure key Fluorine-based battery materials are secure and available for domestic use.
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Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials Scales Up Custom Electrolyte Production, Strengthens US Supply Chain for Lithium-ion Batteries.
