February 23, 2023: Nano One has completed a key milestone in its cathode materials and techno-economic modelling process with an unnamed global auto manufacturer, the company said on February 21.
The benchmarking, achieved under a cathode evaluation agreement between the firms, means that LFP batteries will be added to the research program and will expand collaboration to target performance, cost and environmental specifications of cathode materials to meet the needs of the OEM.
The partners evaluated Nano One’s NMC cathode materials for use in automotive lithium ion batteries and said it: “demonstrated significant potential” in reducing the environmental footprint, capital costs and operating costs while meeting performance criteria.
As part of the initial evaluation project, a third-party study, conducted by engineering firm Hatch, outlined that Nano One’s One-Pot and M2CAM (metal to cathode active material) processes offer environmental benefits and cost advantages compared to conventional cathode processes, the company said.
The Hatch study also identified opportunities for further optimization and cost savings during scale-up and commercialization.
Nano One CTO Stephen Campbell claims Nano One’s technology could eventually eliminate 2 billion kilograms of sodium sulfate by-product, for every 15 million EVs or for each terawatt-hour of battery production.
“Our M2CAM technology can use lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide and uses metals instead of metal sulfates,” the firm said. “This makes it cost and capital competitive, it reduces steps in the supply chain, it lowers water usage by approximately 60% and it eliminates a large and environmentally-wasteful amount of sodium sulfate by-product.”
Nano One announced on February 13 that it had been awarded C$10 million ($7.5 million) by Sustainable Development Technology Canada to boost the firm’s development of high-performance cathode materials used in lithium ion batteries.
The funding will also support conversion of Nano One’s recently acquired Candiac facility to its One-Pot process for industrial-scale pilot production of lithium iron phosphate and spur the firm’s progress toward commercial operations.