Norwegian battery companies Freyr and Morrow both announced successful production updates, with each saying they now move to scale up cell production.
Freyr said the teams working at its Norwegian customer qualification plant (CQP) had achieved the “most significant technical milestone to date”.
They have produced unit cells with the full functionality of the casting and unit cell assembly machine. Provided by Mpac, this is a component of the 24M SemiSolid platform and automates the manufacturing of cathode and anode electrodes, and the production of pouch cells.
Mike Brose, Freyr’s Head of the Asset Mo team, said on Wednesday the company is now poised to move into trial production of sample cells in Q2 2024 using a continuous process.
Freyr said unlike conventional lithium-ion battery manufacturing, the SemiSolid technology employs a continuous and integrated process: it starts with electrode coating and proceeds to electrode stacking. The production line equipment then creates independent unit cells, each containing a cathode, anode and separator.
It is claiming to be the first company globally to successfully demonstrate the functionality of giga scale production with the SemiSolid technology.
Fellow Norwegian company Morrow Batteries said in its update on Friday that it will move to open Europe’s first gigawatt-scale factory for LFP batteries in 2024 in Arendal. It said it achieved milestones in technology, market, organisation and financing in 2024.
It has shipped thousands of sample cells from its CQP in Korea, has announced 30% increased cycle life and 10% increased energy density of its LFP batteries. It signed a strategic sales agreement with Nordic Batteries in April for the delivery of 5.5GWh of LFP BEV2 batteries over seven years.
It has raised €48.4 ($52.5 million) million in fresh capital in a directed share issue and will raise more as it scales up. It plans to apply for Nkr1.5 billion ($141 million) from a new government scheme for green industrial financing.
CEO Lars Christian Bacher said: “Based on our proven LFP technology, in the medium to long term, we will target a gradual scale-up and introduce our proprietary LNMO technology with significantly lower costs and longer battery life. Morrow has the potential to take a global cost and sustainability leadership position for all battery use cases.”
Photo: Mike Brose (left) said Freyr is now poised to move into trial production of sample cells in Q2 2024. Freyr
