South Korean metals producer Korea Zinc has signed a strategic partnership with US-based Alta Resource Technologies to produce rare earth oxides for applications including EVs.

The two companies plan to establish a joint venture in the US and build production facilities on the site of Korea Zinc’s US subsidiary to separate rare earth elements using Alta’s biochemical technology. The biochemical process platform technology uses custom-designed proteins to selectively separate and purify low-concentration rare earth elements contained within complex mixtures.

Korea Zinc is building a $7.4-billion integrated smelter in Tennessee to meet demand for supply outside of China.

The JV aims to start commercial operations in 2027, starting with an annual processing and production capacity of 100 tons of high-purity rare earth oxides. The JV plans to gradually expand production.

Production will focus on high-purity rare earth oxides such as neodymium oxide, praseodymium oxide, dysprosium oxide and terbium oxide, using permanent magnet waste located in the US as raw material.

The goal is to establish the foundation for a stable supply chain of rare earth oxides to both South Korea and the US.

Since 2022, Korea Zinc subsidiary PedalPoint has been forming a recycling value chain in the US through strategic acquisitions, including e-waste recycling company Igneo, electronics recycling company evTerra, scrap metal trading company Kataman Metals and IT asset management company MDSi. The recycling business is expected to ensure a stable supply of waste to the JV.

“Following our strategy to play a central role in the Korea-US core mineral supply chain by building a smelter in the US, this collaboration will be an important milestone in the rare earths sector, which has recently become increasingly strategically important worldwide,” said Choi Yoon-beom, Chairman of Korea Zinc.

Source: Korea Zinc

Chinese battery giant CATL and EV maker NIO have signed a five-year strategic cooperation agreement to develop battery technology, swapping network resources and global market share.

On the technology front, the companies will focus on jointly developing batteries that have long cycle life, as well as battery swapping technologies.

CATL and NIO will also jointly promote the formulation of battery swapping technology standards and the sharing of battery swapping network resources. They intend to deepen their collaboration under business models such as battery leasing, and work together to build an open and shared battery swapping industry ecosystem.

CATL recently deployed its 1,325th battery swapping station in China, and plans to reach more than 3,000 by the end of 2026.

As they look to expand market share, the companies will aim to strengthen joint brand promotion in domestic and international markets.

“Through a structured and long-term cooperation framework, the two companies will jointly address industry changes and provide users with a safer, more efficient and more sustainable electric mobility experience,” CATL stated.

Source: CATL

Manufacturing and battery technology advisory firm XC Technology has signed a strategic collaboration with Photon Automation to support the latter’s new subsidiary, Photon Energy, focusing on offering turn-key energy storage system (ESS) contract manufacturing services.

Photon Energy will leverage the collaboration to provide a complete suite of services, from design support and prototyping to full-scale production and quality assurance for various energy storage applications. That includes providing manufacturing solutions for a range of portable, grid and industrial ESS products.

Precision laser welding applications will use Photon Automation’s specialized capabilities for critical welding processes in ESS components. Meanwhile, battery production and optimization will leverage XC Technology’s battery process experience for performance and safety optimization for next-generation energy systems.

“XC Technology’s experience in optimizing production for complex battery technologies and turnkey assemblies, combined with Photon Automation’s turnkey systems build and integration, creates a powerful offering for the market,” said Ben Wrightsman, founder of XC Technology.

Source: Photon Automation

The state-owned Bolivian National Strategic Public Company of Lithium Deposits (Yacimientos de Litio Bolivianos, YLB) has submitted an application to patent a process for the direct extraction of lithium from complex brines, as well as the industrial design of a fast-charging portable charger.

The Patent of Invention and the Patent of Industrial Design were requested from the National Intellectual Property Service (SENAPI).

The first application is for an invention patent entitled: “Procedure for the synthesis of a Laminar Aluminum-Lithium Double Hydroxide (Al/Li LDH) adsorbent for direct lithium extraction.” This process enables miners to extract a material that has high selectivity for lithium and high adsorption and desorption capacity, representing an advance in the recovery of lithium from brines that contain a high magnesium/lithium ratio, such as those found in the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia.

The second application is for an industrial design patent for a “Portable Fast Charging Charger” that integrates a lithium-ion battery and an intelligent control system, multiple protection, as well as USB Type A and Type C connectors.

In 2023, YLB obtained its first invention patent for the development of its own method for obtaining high-purity 99.5-99.9% grade lithium carbonate.

“We are requesting intellectual property protection to safeguard copyright and strengthen YLB’s innovation and industrial property strategy,” said Mauricio Álvarez, Research and Development Manager at YLB. “With these initiatives, YLB reaffirms its leadership in the region and its commitment to technological development, sustainability and adding value to the country’s evaporite resources.”

Source: YLB