Toronto and Nasdaq-listed clean technology company Nano One [TSX: NANO] [NDQ:NNOMF], a specialist in low-cost and low-carbon production of EV battery materials, has formed a key strategic alliance with engineering specialist Worley Chemetics.
The two companies plan to create a design package for plants making lithium-based battery materials which would make it possible for customers to buy a plant design and then build it and scale it according to their own needs and locate it anywhere in the world.
Worley Chemetics explains that increasingly stringent emission controls and government legislation are making it harder for their customers to obtain and maintain production licenses across different manufacturing sectors.
Worley helps this process by reducing the environmental impact of plants by, for instance, enabling chlorine-free paper bleaching, reducing NOx and SO2 emissions from smelters and chemical sites, and cleaning and recycling sulphuric acid and toxic effluents.
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Nano One, on the other hand, has patented its One-Pot process for the production of lithium-ion battery cathode active materials (CAMs) that is not only lower cost but has also a significantly lower environmental footprint than most of the currently used production processes.
Nano One has combined the processes for precursor CAM (pCAM) and CAM which helps them to produce up to 60% fewer greenhouse gasses during the manufacturing process and use 80% less process water. Using their patent eliminates wastewater and harmful sodium/ammonium sulphate by-products, which is typically a major disposal and permitting challenge in current cathode material production processes.
CAM plant design ‘in a box’
The plant design package the two companies intend to jointly develop, market and licence will come with intellectual property rights, flow sheets, detailed engineering, the operational know-how of both parties and applicable proprietary equipment.
Worley Chemetics will also design and fabricate One-Pot reactors made with customized metal alloys. The freshly signed license agreement oversees the sale of CAM packages, including necessary cross-licensing of intellectual property, license fees and remuneration to both parties over a term of up to 20 years. The two companies expect to sell to customers in the US, Europe, Asia and Australia.
Having a ready-made CAM package is expected to reduce the risk and costs of building a plant while at the same time speeding up permitting processes and financial investment decisions. Having a clear template and examples of the process being used elsewhere will also help with broader community acceptance.
Scalable battery cathode material production technology
The agreement amplifies the value of the Nano One One-Pot process and addresses a growing need for a new generation of scalable battery cathode material production technology and clean, diversified supply chains.
“Worley has a global network of clients, deep engineering knowledge and a track record of designing and building process facilities that can accelerate our design-once-build-many growth strategy,” said Nano One CEO, Dan Blondal.
Nano One has been producing and selling lithium-ion cathode materials for over ten years and has one of the most experienced lithium-ion teams outside of Asia.
Worley Chemetics is wholly owned by its Australian parent Worley Ltd, an A$8.59 billion global professional engineering company active in the energy, chemicals and resources sectors. With nearly 50,000 people across 45 countries. Battery Materials is a key growth area for Worley with A$1.5 billion in new business since July 2021.
