.jpg)
2 hours ago
3
Article content
(Bloomberg) — China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. is investing in a New Zealand-based company that converts forestry byproducts into graphite for use in lithium batteries.
THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
- Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.
- Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.
- Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.
- National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
- Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.
SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
- Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.
- Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.
- Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.
- National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
- Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.
REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
- Access articles from across Canada with one account.
- Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.
- Enjoy additional articles per month.
- Get email updates from your favourite authors.
THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
- Access articles from across Canada with one account
- Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments
- Enjoy additional articles per month
- Get email updates from your favourite authors
Sign In or Create an Account
or
Article content
The world’s largest maker of electric-vehicle batteries and Hong Kong-based investment firm Lochpine Capital are taking a combined 20% stake in CarbonScape Ltd. with a view to scaling up bio-based graphite production to meet growing demand from the global automotive and energy-storage industries.
Article content
Article content
Article content
Through the partnership, CarbonScape said its technology will be tested at demonstration scale at CATL’s existing facilities in China.
Article content
By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.
Article content
“Together, we aim to bring commercial biographite production online by the end of the decade,” CarbonScape Chief Executive Officer Ivan Williams said in a statement on Monday.
Article content
Graphite is a key raw material for production of anodes used in batteries. China currently dominates the global supply chain, with the rest of the world facing deficits of both natural and synthetic varieties until at least 2031, according to industry consultancy Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.
Article content
Global demand for battery-grade graphite is expected to grow approximately sixfold between 2025 and 2040, CarbonScape said. More than 75% of graphite used in batteries is currently derived from an oil-based feedstock, the company added.
Article content
CarbonScape is “finding a way to source a more sustainable graphite material that can be produced locally within Europe, within the US and ex-China at competitive costs,” Vincent Ledoux-Pedailles, the company’s chief commercial officer, said in an interview with Bloomberg Television.
Article content
Article content
“When you source wastes or residues from the forestry industry, it is much cheaper than sourcing an oil-based product such as petcoke,” he said, adding that converting an oil-based product into graphite requires temperatures as high as 3,000C (5,432F).
Article content
“When you convert wood products into graphite, you only need half that temperature, so you’re saving on energy and you’re saving on feedstock costs,” he said.
Article content
CarbonScape, which has run a pilot plant in New Zealand for the last few years, aims to reach a final investment decision on its first industrial-scale facility by the end of 2027 or early 2028, Ledoux-Pedailles said, with a view to supplying the market by 2029 or 2030.
Article content
—With assistance from Adrian Wong.
Article content
(Updates with chief commercial officer’s comments from seventh paragraph.)
Article content
English (US)