Nornickel has inaugurated a Battery Technology Center, marking a new phase in the company’s efforts to advance technological capabilities in the promising field of nickel-containing cathode active materials (CAM) - a key component in modern batteries.
The center will focus on the development and research of battery materials using state-of-the-art equipment unique in Russia, enabling the full cycle of synthesis and testing under specialized conditions.
Vitaly Busko, Nornickel Vice President for Innovations, said at the opening ceremony of the Center in St. Petersburg that the company will make an investment decision for its own CAM production facility within a year.
"Today, we have completed the next stage of obtaining battery materials technology and continue working in this field," he noted. "Further investments in the project will also depend on whether we build a plant [for the production of battery materials] or not."
According to Busko, establishing a scientific foundation for the production of cathode active materials aligns with Russia’s goals of ensuring a full-cycle battery production for electric transportation.
At present, the company's investments in the development of cathode active materials amount to about $30 million. According to Interfax, Norilsk Nickel has now completed two stages of the project: from obtaining tens of grams of the substance in one synthesis operation to tens of kilograms of CAM.
The next stage should be the construction of a pilot plant for the production of 10 tons of material per year. According to Busko, the construction of a pilot plant for the third stage may take 2-2.5 years after the relevant decision is made. The next stage of the project after testing the pilot plant should be full-scale production of battery materials.
Theodor Lisovoy, Managing Editor, Rough&Polished
