Altech Chemicals (ASX:ATC) appoints Leadec for CERENERGY DFS

• Altech Chemicals (ATC) appoints Leadec Automation and Engineering as the lead engineer for a definitive feasibility study (DFS)
• The DFS is for the CERENERGY project in Germany, which will produce 10,000 sodium alumina solid-state battery modules per annum as an alternative to lithium-ion batteries
• Altech owns 75 per cent of the project, while Fraunhofer IKTS owns the other 25 per cent
• Leadec has completed site and technology visits, with engineering work now underway
• ATC shares are down 1.06 per cent to trade at 9.3 cents at 2:08 pm AEDT

Altech Chemicals (ATC) has appointed Leadec Automation and Engineering as the lead engineer for a definitive feasibility study (DFS).

The DFS is for Altech’s CERENERGY sodium alumina solid state (SAS) battery project in Saxony, Germany.

The 100-megawatt-hour project is a planned battery plant designed to produce 10,000 SAS battery modules per annum at 10 kilowatt-hours each,

Altech’s Managing Director, Iggy Tan, said he was pleased to appoint Leadec as the lead engineer for the DFS.

“Leadec has extensive battery manufacturing experience and will play a key part in advancing the DFS to commercialise the CERENERGY Sodium Alumina Solid State Batteries,” Mr Tan said.

The CERENERGY SAS project is a 75:25 collaboration between Altech and German battery institute Fraunhofer IKTS, who are each working to commercialise the CERENERGY SAS battery — a “game-changing” alternative to lithium-ion batteries.

These batteries are designed to provide an alternative to lithium-ion batteries for the stationary storage market which is expected to grow significantly over the next five years.

The batteries have a lifespan of more than 15 years and can operate in extreme cold and desert climates. The technology uses table salt instead of lithium and is also cobalt-free, graphite-free and copper-free, which eliminates the exposure to critical metal price increases and supply chain concerns.

As of September 14, the batteries were in the final phase of product testing and were ready to be commercialised.

For six decades, Leadec has supported customers within the manufacturing industries: from planning, installation and automation of the factories. Altech said Leadec was highly experienced in cell production, module and pack production design.

Leadec has already completed site and tech visits, and engineering work has begun.

ATC shares were down 1.06 per cent to trade at 9.3 cents at 2:08 pm AEDT.