Elkem establishes Vianode to study advanced battery materials

OSLO, Norway—With an eye toward electric vehicles, Elkem has founded pilot company Vianode to focus on advanced battery materials.

Vianode, to be based Kristiansand, Norway, will "produce sustainable and high quality active anode materials to meet the needs of the exponentially growing electric vehicles marketplace."

Elkem introduced the Vianode branch in early May.

"The production of battery materials represents one of our biggest growth opportunities," Elkem CEO Michael Koenig said. "By commissioning the industrial pilot, we have taken a significant step in preparing our products for customers. By establishing Vianode as a dedicated company for advanced battery materials, we ensure full focus on developing this business and progressing the large-scale battery plant toward a planned final investment decision in 2021."

Elkem will transition its existing operations in advanced battery materials to Vianode, according to Elkem. The company is seeking industrial and financial partners, and is looking to hire for its facility in Heroya Industrial Park.

Vianode has started qualification processes with several battery cell producers.

The Elkem subsidiary entered into a memorandum of understanding for battery materials with Freyr in October 2020 and has received financial support from Enova, a Norwegian government body, to fund planning of a high-production battery materials plant in Norway.

"The opening of the industrial pilot is an important milestone toward industrial-scale production of sustainable battery materials in Norway and the Western world," Vianode Vice President Chirs York said. "We expect considerable synergies from the production and research environment in Kristiansand related to today's and tomorrow's battery applications."

According to Elkem/Vianode, Li-ion batteries comprise an anode, cathode, electrolyte and a separator. Specifically, anode production can be a major contributor to CO2 emissions and greenhouse gases, Vianode said.

"Vianode intends to reduce emissions from this part of the battery materials value chain by more than 90 percent compared to conventional production," said Stian Madshus, vice president and general manager, Europe, at Vianode.

Vianode also is analyzing the feasibility of silicon-graphite materials for batteries and is investing in research and development for the recycling of battery-grade graphite.