Hycamite, a Finnish green hydrogen and carbon production technology company, has outlined plans for a global expansion as a supplier of synthetic graphite for lithium-ion battery anodes. The ultra-pure graphite is produced via Hycamite’s unique methane splitting technology, also called thermocatalytic decomposition of methane (TCD). The main product is green hydrogen.
Niina Grönqvist, founder and vice president of carbon products at Hycamite TCD Technologies, said: “Our method uses only 1/8 of the energy required by conventional electrolysers. The technology is scalable, and we can use both biogas or industrial side streams. For carbon production the quality of the products is affected by the catalyst used.”
The carbon material produced by Hycamite possesses excellent properties compared to natural graphite, according to the company. The crystal structures are similar, and the purity level exceeds 99%. The synthetic material shows fewer defects in battery anodes, it claims.
Grönqvist added that Hycamite graphite has one of the lowest CO2 footprints on the market and one of the lowest energy demands for the production process: “Our R&D department has developed a diversified portfolio of applications for our carbon products, from carbon nanofibers in concrete to supercapacitors and conductive polymers, to avoid risks of a saturated anode market.”
Hycamite will cut the ribbon on its production plant in Kokkola, Finland, in September. One of its target markets is the US, where it plans 20–30 plants under the IRA framework. “With full support from EPA we are looking at locations in, for example, Nevada, Oklahoma and Colorado,” said Carolina Ahlstrand, business development director. She claimed no other company can do as much to reduce the total carbon chain in advanced synthetic graphite production.
The company will go where the methane supply exists to avoid extra transportation, she said.
