SK On, Korean electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturer, said it signed a joint development agreement with US graphite company Westwater Resources to strengthen its battery raw material supply chain in North America.
They will develop anode materials tailored for SK On batteries. If successful, they will use them in its US manufacturing.
It has two EV battery plants in Georgia and is building three plants in the US with Ford Motor Co. BlueOval SK. This is a joint venture between SK On and Ford. It also plans to operate two battery plants in Kentucky and one in Tennessee.
Westwater Resources develops battery-grade natural graphite anode materials. It is building a graphite processing plant in Alabama. The first phase is due to produce 7,500 tonnes of refined graphite each year.
SK On is reportedly considering three Canadian locations for its first North American battery separator plant.
