ICL plans battery centre

ICL has announced plans to invest $30 million to develop a customer innovation and qualification centre (CIQC) for the energy storage systems market in North America. This should become “a hub for ICL, its partners and its customers, as the company looks to make significant advancements in its battery materials R&D capabilities”, ICL said.

The CIQC is expected to be online before ICL’s 30,000 tonnes/year lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery materials facility, which is currently undergoing a value engineering review to optimise project costs and accelerate start-up. The company believes that the centre will enable it to further reduce cycle times and power consumption in LFP production. It already has an off-take agreement for up to 10,00 tonnes/year, potentially starting in 2025.