Study backs Hycamite graphite for electric vehicle batteries

A study has found that graphite produced by Kokkola-based startup Hycamite is well suited for electric vehicle batteries, Yle reported. The assessment by independent US research institute Polaris Battery Labs marks significant progress towards a commercially competitive battery-grade graphite product, according to the institute.

Polaris said graphite refined from Hycamite’s graphitic carbon is at least as good as existing battery graphites for use as lithium-ion battery anode material, including in terms of capacity value. This affects how attractive the product is to battery-cell manufacturers.

“This makes it possible to produce a critical battery material with a smaller carbon footprint and at a competitive price, including in regions where mined graphite is not yet refined,” Hycamite Chief Executive Matti Malkamäki said in a company statement.

The European Union has classified graphite as a critical material. Hycamite has also been included on the EU’s list of strategic projects as one of six Finnish projects.

Pilot plant planned for next year

Hycamite aims to build a plant in Finland capable of producing 40 per cent of Europe’s battery-grade graphite needs, equivalent to about 200,000 tonnes a year.

Construction of a 50 million euro pilot plant is scheduled to begin in Kokkola next year. The plant will be built next to Hycamite’s existing hydrogen facility in the Kokkola industrial area.

Hycamite’s technology produces hydrogen and solid carbon from natural gas or biogas without process-related greenhouse gas emissions. The carbon can be further processed into graphite.

The pyrolysis-based method uses only one eighth of the energy required by the conventional electrolysis process for hydrogen production.