Metals group BASF has begun commissioning on what it claimed is the first combined battery cathode materials production and recycling plant, in Germany.

Redwood Materials will get a US$2 billion loan from the DOE’s Loan Programs Office (LPO) for its closed-loop lithium-ion anode and cathode material production plant in Nevada, US.

In a double-whammy of NMC battery news, SolarEdge has started shipping cells from its new South Korea gigafactory while Lechlanché has claimed a breakthrough in environmentally-friendly cell production.

Taiwan-based Aleees will provide its lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathode manufacturing process technology for ICL Group’s US$400 million facility in Missouri, US.

Manufacturing firm Arxada has started producing Prussian blue materials for Natron sodium-ion battery production while US-based Mitra Chem has hired EPC firm Bechtel to design its LFP cathode facility.

FREYR Battery has signed a series of agreements that bring its plans for gigafactories in Europe and later the US closer to fruition.

The mismatch between supply and demand for lithium batteries presents a challenge to the global transition to sustainable energy.

Supply chain constraints impacting the energy storage industry have come at a “critical” stage for the sector’s development, a BloombergNEF analyst has said.

AMTE Power, a UK-based manufacturer of batteries, has said its new sodium-ion cells are close to being ready to send out into the field for testing and validation.

New sodium-ion battery production facilities have been announced in the US and Sweden by Natron Energy and Altris, respectively, with both set to start production in 2023.