Altech has taken a big leap forward to produce its CERENERGY® sodium-chloride solid state batteries with the selection of suppliers for its German battery plant.

This comes as it finalises the plant design, which is based on the completion of one battery cell unit every 45 seconds, with the various suppliers who have extensive expertise in manufacturing plants, automation and robotics.

Progress has also been made advancing the project Definitive Feasibility Study with the selection of Leadec Automation & Engineering as the lead engineer and potentially engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) contractor for the 100 megawatt hour (MWh) battery project.

Altech Batteries (ASX:ATC) recently started discussions with potential off-take partners and future sales in the growing grid storage battery market after developing preliminary specifications for its 60 kilowatt hour (kWh) and 1 megawatt hour (MWh) battery packs.

“The level of excellence exhibited by the German plant unit suppliers we have brought together is truly remarkable. They possess extensive expertise in manufacturing plants that prioritise automation and robotics as essential components of the design” Managing Director Iggy Tan noted.

“Our objective is to manufacture battery cells from the ground up, encompassing the production of ceramic solid-state tubes, full cell assembly, and conducting quality and battery performance checks at a rate of one every 45 seconds.

“We have made substantial progress in our design endeavours and are currently transitioning towards obtaining the final cost estimates for the plant.”

 

Selected suppliers

Altech selected Gustav Eirich, a highly-experienced German company that provides advanced ceramic powder mixing and granulation equipment and technology, to provide the ceramic mixing as well as equipment and technology for granulating salt and nickel – essential for battery cathodes.

Gustav Eirich has worked with Altech’s JV partner Fraunhofer IKTS before, making them a trusted partner in the battery plant.

Riedhammer was selected to provide a tunnel kiln for sintering of ceramic tubes, employing a heating profile of about 35 hours and maximum temperature of 1600 degrees Celsius.

This is designed to use renewable energy for heating which will dramatically reduce the battery plant’s carbon footprint.

Altech will also work with Xenon Automation, which designed the initialisation process for completed cells, to implement comprehensive quality checks for completed sintered ceramic tubes, ensuring that there are no cracks or faults.

Meanwhile, Fritz Automation will supply the cell assembly plant that encompasses various tasks such as tube cutting, ceramic ring assembly, ceramic to cell case assembly, electrode assembly and welding, cathode granules and medium filling, as well as cell and battery pack assembly.

Fritz, which designed the advanced automation systems which will ensure efficient and precise execution of each step of the cell assembly process, will also provide systems for cell initialisation and performance testing,

Hofer Powertrain, leading German supplier of connector plates used for battery busbar connections and wire connections, will supply its advanced connector plate technology that will help secure seamless connections between battery cells.

König Metall will supply insulated battery pack cases – designed to IP 65 standards that allow the batteries to operate in all weather conditions – for the 60kWh battery packs, whilst Mein Lagerraum will fabricate the specially designed iso-container frame to house the eighteen 60 kWh battery packs that make up the 1MWh GridPack.

For the cell initialisation and subsequent performance testing of completed battery cells, Dresden Elektronik has been selected to provide automation and robotics around this manufacturing step, which seeks to efficiently collect test data and perform charge and full discharge cycles to ensure the proper functioning of the cells.

Altech has also partnered with IAV GmbH Ingenieurgesellschaft Auto und Verkehr to provide an advanced Battery Management System (BMS) design for its 60kWh battery pack and 1MWh GridPack.

The BMS allows seamless integration with site panel software control and enables remote operation when connected to customer grid control systems, ensuring optimal performance and safety of the battery packs and providing users with efficient management and monitoring capabilities.

Leadec Automation & Engineering will provide advanced electric and automation solutions for the battery plant while ARIKON Infrastruktur has been appointed to design and cost all site buildings and infrastructure on the CERENERGY® battery site.

Arikon, which was the infrastructure contractor for the Tesla Gigafactory in Brandenberg, Germany, will also manage the approval and permitting of the project with the local and state authorities while ensuring that site infrastructure meets all requirements for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the battery facility.

 

 

This article was developed in collaboration with Altech Batteries, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.

 

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.

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