Why is graphite the most important negative electrode material in lithium battery cells?

Recently, foreign media reported that Elkem is expected to make a final decision next year to determine whether to build a factory. The Norwegian company Elkem has selected the Herøya Industrial Park as the site for its potential large-scale battery materials production plant. The company's Northern Recharge project aims to provide graphite as anode material for lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles.

Elkem is currently building a battery graphite pilot plant in the Norwegian town of Kristiansand. The pilot project has an investment of NOK 65 million (over EUR 6 million) and is expected to be operational in early 2021. Elkem will evaluate whether to proceed with its Northern Recharge project based on the results from the pilot plant. If it goes ahead, Norway's largest industrial park Herøya will become the site of its planned large-scale factory for battery materials.

By then, the plant will provide graphite raw materials for the rapidly growing electric vehicle battery industry. Elkem believes that graphite is the most important anode material in lithium battery cells. The company predicts that by 2030, the demand for graphite will reach more than 10 times the current level. In order to successfully enter the market, the company hopes to find a more competitive and environmentally friendly production process. The Herøya region is rich in hydropower resources, which can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 90% compared to fossil fuel energy.

To win approval to build the plant, Elkem also hopes to gain public support. On August 19, the company attended the "Green Electrical Value Chain Export Opportunities" report conference in Oslo, the capital of Norway. Arvid Moss, chairman of the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprises (NHO), presided over the meeting. At this conference, Elkem presented its Northern Recharge project. “For Norway to unlock its potential, we need public-private partnerships, public support mechanisms and supportive policies to develop at sufficient speed and scale so that we can win in the global race for electrification,” said Moss.