Evonik invests in Chinese battery material companies

Evonik recently announced that it will invest in a Chinese battery material company, Hefei Haizhou New Material Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Haizhou New Material), to help it achieve its sustainable development goals.

According to reports, the innovative process developed by Haizhou New Materials can be used to produce few-layer graphene, which is suitable for lithium-ion battery electrode paste. With the addition of graphene, electrode pastes can be made highly conductive and thermally conductive, resulting in faster charging and improved battery performance, while reducing the battery's sensitivity to temperature, reducing cooling needs and risk of fire.

Bernhard Mohr, head of Evonik's venture capital department, said: "High-performance batteries are key to accelerating the electrification transformation of the automotive industry and reducing carbon dioxide emissions, and have broad application prospects. We hope to support the development of related cutting-edge technologies through this investment."

According to the prediction of relevant experts, by 2030, the demand for lithium-ion batteries will increase by 5 times. "In recent years, China's lithium-ion battery industry has developed rapidly. This investment will promote the collaboration between the two parties in battery material innovation, and will also help us promote local business development." said Xia Fuliang, President of Evonik Greater China.

It is understood that Haizhou New Materials was established in Guangdong in 2011. It is a manufacturer of graphene electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries. This year, it will build a new production base in Hefei, Anhui.