Actively being sampled by major OEMs, battery material from plasma production enables costs lower than China with more than 50% lower carbon footprint over conventional methods
6K UniMelt® Microwave plasma production system
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass., April 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Continuing to push the boundaries of domestic, sustainable production of critical materials for lithium-ion batteries, 6K Energy (a division of 6K) today announced their cathode active material (CAM) will meet stringent government mandates for compliance outlined by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the first company to meet compliance for both LFP and NMC materials. 6K Energy’s CAM has demonstrated market-leading performance at over 30 partners in the Li-ion ecosystem, including major automotive OEMs, battery cell producers, and other battery material producers. 6K Energy is actively delivering large quantities of critical materials from their Battery Center of Excellence facility as part of the customers’ qualification process.
6K’s award-winning UniMelt® production system continues to deliver multiple Li-ion materials, including NMC, LFP, lithium salts, and alkaline battery CAM, with strong specification performance meeting or exceeding industry requirements. The company’s NMC811 single crystal CAM delivers high capacity with excellent rate performance while exceeding electric vehicle (EV) cycle-life requirements. LFP CAM is achieving over 160mA/gm capacity with exceptional efficiency, trending to >6k cycles while maintaining 80% capacity, which is ideal for energy storage system (ESS) applications.
The 6K Energy Battery Center of Excellence can produce tons of material annually matching production intent processes that will be deployed in their PlusCAM™ plant in Jackson, TN, with a projected SoP in mid-2025. The multi-chemistry facility will offer single crystal NMC811 and two LFP variants: a direct replacement of LFP made in China today and a new spherical option offering benefits for electrode construction, especially effective for delivery of powder when utilizing a dry coating process.
“During the past year, we’ve witnessed a transformation in the battery industry like never before. Targets for domestic production of batteries and battery material were once just aspirational goals and are now being mandated by the government with the introduction of the Inflation Reduction Act,” said Sam Trinch, President of 6K Energy. “While the industry is now scrambling to meet this new material production requirement for critical lithium-ion batteries, 6K Energy is already well aligned to provide the industry with LFP and NMC materials that can not only meet these new IRA requirements – but truly change the way companies approach sustainable material production by shifting from less efficient and less sustainable materials currently being produced in China.”
Signed into law by the Biden administration in August of 2022, the IRA offers significant tax credits for battery production in the US – as much as $35/kWh for the production of battery cells and an additional $10/kWh for battery module assembly. The Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit also offers a $7500 tax incentive for EV battery production – including 10% of the cost of critical mineral production and 10% of the cost of electrode active material production.
6K Energy’s PlusCAM facility is the world’s only sustainable battery material production plant capable of delivering IRA compliant cathode active material at a significantly lower cost than materials coming from China. The PlusCAM facility fully leverages the UniMelt plasma technology to deliver both NMC and LFP at a significantly lower cost than Chinese suppliers – backed by lower energy consumption and as much as 65% less carbon emissions. The facility is set to be the flagship production site for multi-material supply of battery material to major OEMs and suppliers.
To learn more about the shifting landscape for battery material production and to see the power of UniMelt, visit 6K-Energy.com.
Notes for Editors
6K press releases are available here: https://www.6kinc.com/6k-inc-news-room/
About 6K
6K produces and innovates with UniMelt® microwave plasma technology for the localized production of critical materials. 6K’s UniMelt technology is applied across a vast range of markets, from additive manufacturing (6K Additive) and essential battery materials (6K Energy) to future growth sectors (6K Next). UniMelt plasma creates a path for true sustainability, reducing carbon emissions, lowering energy use, and utilizing recycled content to create a circular economy—all while reducing conversion costs and providing a secure, domestic supply chain. UniMelt is industrially operational and producing critical materials at scale today. The company’s headquarters and the 6K Energy Battery Center of Excellence are located in North Andover, MA, with 6K Additive’s production facility in Burgettstown, PA, and a full-scale PlusCAM™ battery material manufacturing plant under construction in Jackson, TN. For more information, visit www.6Kinc.com.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Bruce Bradshaw
Chief Marketing Officer
6K Inc.
Email: bbradshaw@6Kinc.com
Phone: +1 603 689 4597
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/94071b01-986d-4980-b16a-ef7f866ec4a2
