Altech Batteries Ltd Stock Market Press Releases and Company Profile
Share Purchase Plan
Share Purchase Plan

Perth, Dec 6, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Altech Chemicals Limited (googlechartASX:ATC) (googlechartA3Y:FRA) has recently completed a placement that was conducted in-house. The Company is pleased to advise shareholders that it raised a total amount under the placement of $8,128,506 via the issue of 77,414,345 fully paid shares at 10.7 cents per share.

The Company will utilise the placement funds, and is seeking additional funds pursuant to this SPP, to further develop its downstream alumina coated battery materials business which could be a game-changer for the electric vehicle battery market. Altech intends to allocate funds raised from the placement, as well as this SPP, to the acquisition of land to house a battery materials coating pilot plant in Germany, construction of the pilot plant, completion of a Preliminary Feasibility Study in relation to a 10,000 tpa battery materials coating plant to be housed on the same land in Germany as the pilot plant, and completion of a Definitive Feasibility Study in relation to the 10,000 tpa battery materials coating plant.

Altech's alumina coating technology is successful on both silicon and graphite particles, typical of those used in the anode of lithium-ion batteries, particularly within the burgeoning electric vehicle industry. This technology aims to improve the battery life and performance. On 25 November 2021, the Company announced a very exciting and significant breakthrough in lithium-ion battery technology achieved by its research and development laboratory located in Perth, Western Australia which was well received by the market. After almost 12 months of challenging work, Altech has finally "cracked the silicon barrier" and successfully produced and tested a series of lithium-ion battery anode materials that have ~30% higher retention capacity compared to conventional lithium-ion battery anode materials. To achieve its breakthrough, Altech successfully combined silicon particles that had been treated with its innovative proprietary technology, with regular battery grade graphite particles, to produce a lithium-ion battery electrode containing a composite graphite / silicon anode. When energised, these materials held 30% more capacity compared to a conventional graphite only anode material. The previously unresolved obstacles for using silicon in lithium-ion battery anodes were silicon particle swelling; prohibitive first-cycle-capacity-loss of up to 50%; and rapid battery degradation each charge and discharge cycle, were resolved during the laboratory testing of Altech's composite graphite/silicon batteries. Importantly, the Altech batteries demonstrated extremely good stability and cycling performance over extended periods.

The lithium-ion battery industry has recognised that the required step change to increase lithium-ion battery energy density and reduced costs is to introduce silicon in battery anodes, as silicon has ~ ten times the energy retention capacity compared to graphite. Silicon metal has been identified as the most promising anode material for the next generation of lithium-ion batteries. However, until now silicon was unable to be used in commercial lithium-ion batteries due to two critical drawbacks. Firstly, silicon particles expand by up to 300% in volume during battery charge, causing particle swelling, fracturing and ultimately battery failure. The second challenge is that silicon deactivates a high percentage of the lithium ions in a battery. Lithium ions are rendered inactive by the silicon, immediately reducing battery performance and life. The industry has been in the race to crack the silicon barrier.

As Tesla's Elon Musk alludes to, silicon oxide-based solutions should be the advanced anode of choice for mainstream battery producers today, and they should be expected to dominate the market over the next five to seven years.

Altech's potentially game changing technology has demonstrated that silicon particles can be modified so that it resolves the capacity fading caused by both the swelling and first-cycle-loss capacity problems. Phase 2 of Altech's planned research and development program will see the Company strive to improve on the 30% energy increase achieved in the first phase. The Company has commenced a preliminary feasibility study (PFS) for the construction of a high purity alumina (HPA) coated battery materials plant in Saxony, Germany. The PFS is being undertaken by Altech's 75% owned German subsidiary, Altech Industries Germany GmbH (AIG). Work on the preliminary engineering design for the 10,000 tpa battery materials plant is in the final stages of completion. Altech has also commenced the green accreditation of the environmental credentials of the battery materials process.

In relation to the HPA Johor project, the Company continues to progress on securing the final project finance. Senior project debt financing of US$190 million has been secured from German government owned KfW IPEX-Bank. The Company is currently progressing with obtaining junior project debt financing of US$144 million, through listed green bonds. In addition, the balance in equity for the project has been mandated with various groups. Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the construction works in Malaysia were completed on budget and on schedule.

To view the SPP Timetable, please visit:
https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/PTIJ8174


About Altech Batteries Ltd

Altech Chemical Ltd ASX:ATCAltech Batteries Limited (ASX:ATC) (FRA:A3Y) is a specialty battery technology company that has a joint venture agreement with world leading German battery institute Fraunhofer IKTS ("Fraunhofer") to commercialise the revolutionary CERENERGY(R) Sodium Alumina Solid State (SAS) Battery. CERENERGY(R) batteries are the game-changing alternative to lithium-ion batteries. CERENERGY(R) batteries are fire and explosion-proof; have a life span of more than 15 years and operate in extreme cold and desert climates. The battery technology uses table salt and is lithium-free; cobalt-free; graphite-free; and copper-free, eliminating exposure to critical metal price rises and supply chain concerns. 

The joint venture is commercialising its CERENERGY(R) battery, with plans to construct a 100MWh production facility on Altech's land in Saxony, Germany. The facility intends to produce CERENERGY(R) battery modules to provide grid storage solutions to the market.

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Contact

Corporate
Iggy Tan
Managing Director
Altech Batteries Limited
Tel: +61-8-6168-1555
Email: info@altechgroup.com

Martin Stein
Chief Financial Officer
Altech Batteries Limited
Tel: +61-8-6168-1555
Email: info@altechgroup.com



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