Madrid, July, 2022. – Ferroglobe PLC (NASDAQ: GSM), one of the world’s leading producers of silicon metal and silicon and manganese-based ferroalloys, has entered a new phase in its silicon metal powder project for batteries and other advanced technologies, reaching a high purity production (up to 99,995%), in micrometer and sub-micrometer size.
The company initiated five years ago a research, development and production projectfor silicon metal powder at its Innovation Center in Sabón (Spain), where Ferroglobe set up a pilot plant to lead this project. Ferroglobe’s Innovation Center is equipped with cutting edge proprietary technologies in silicon melting, silicon metal purification, and silicon powder particle size reduction, which have proven to be capable of generating silicon powder of extremely high purity. The innovative industrial process allows a very clean production, with no secondary chemical flow, driving sustainability throughout the entire value chain.
This milestone enables Ferroglobe to take a further step towards its short and medium- term goal of positioning itself as one of the market’s leading suppliers of high-purity silicon for batteries and other advanced technologies, actively participating in the semiconductor’s clean technology, and advanced mobility markets. The strategic importance of Ferroglobe’s battery silicon project was already recognized in 2021 by the European Commission, including it in the IPCEI European Battery Innovation (EuBatIn).
To supply state of the art Silicon for Anode material, Ferroglobe is collaborating with some of the most outstanding companies and start-ups developing innovative silicon solutions. To name a few among them, under MoU, Ferroglobe is providing high purity silicon powder to:
- E-magy, producer of a unique nano-porous silicon enabling high-energy silicon-dominant batteries;
- Sicona, who has pioneered a simple & robust production process for high-performance silicon-graphite-carbon composite anode materials;
- Granode Materials AB, which is developing a new graphene-based anodematerial;
- Altech who is advancing into feasibility study for the construction and operationof a 10,000tpa Silicon/graphite alumina coating plant in Germany.
Ferroglobe has also signed a cooperation agreement to develop the Silicon-containing Anode technology with Advano, specialized in the manufacturing and processing of advanced Silicon materials for Li-ion batteries in EV and consumer electronics industries.
Ferroglobe is now entering a new phase in its high-purity silicon metal powder project,
which will involve industrial collaboration between its plants in Sabón (Spain) and
Montricher (France), where first large industrial capacity has successfully started.
Benoist Ollivier, Chief Technology & Innovation Officer at Ferroglobe, said: “Our company has succeeded in producing a silicon metal powder that stands out for its extremely high purity, and now we must go one step further. It is time to start offering the market our industrial capacity for global production of such an important material for the development of innovative, cost-effective, and low carbon footprint material for the energy transition”.
About Ferroglobe:
Ferroglobe PLC is one of the world’s leading suppliers of metallic silicon, special silicon manganese-based alloys and ferroalloys, serving customers around the world in dynamic and growing end markets, such as solar, electronics, automotive, consumer products, construction and energy. For more information, visit http://investor.ferroglobe.com.
Media Contact:
Cristina Feliu
Global Head of Communications
Mobile phone : +34 648 49 68 69
corporate.comms@ferroglobe.com