Orion breaks ground on Texas battery materials factory

Carbon black producer Orion has broken ground on a battery materials factory in Texas, US. According to Orion, the plant will be the only one in the United States producing acetylene-based conductive additives for use in lithium-ion batteries and other growing electrification applications.

Conductive additives can increase the efficiency of electrical current and extend the life of lithium-ion batteries. The material also plays an important role in high-voltage cables used in wind and solar farms.

Orion claims that the battery additive produced at its LaPorte facility southeast of Houston has a carbon footprint that is only one-tenth that of other commonly used materials. The acetylene used in the additives produced at La Porte will be supplied by a neighboring plant owned by Equistar Chemicals, a subsidiary of LyondellBasell.

"Our facility in La Porte will be a critical step in strengthening regional supply of conductive additives in the rapidly growing U.S. battery market," said Orion CEO Corning Painter.

Orion said the procurement of key equipment and off-site manufacturing for the La Porte project are in advanced stages and are expected to start in the second quarter of 2025.