Global EV battery manufacturer SK On has signed a conditional offtake agreement with US graphite supplier Westwater Resources in a move to secure battery-grade natural graphite in North America.

Under the terms of the agreement, SK On can source a total of 34,000 tons of natural graphite anode products processed at Westwater’s Kellyton Graphite Plant in Alabama, from 2027 to 2031. SK On will use the products for its US battery manufacturing facilities.

Westwater holds mineral rights to Alabama’s vast Coosa Graphite Deposit.

SK On and Westwater inked a joint development agreement last year, and have been working together to develop sustainable high-performance anode materials tailored for SK On batteries.

As Westwater Chief Commercial Officer Jon Jacobs explained to Charged, different cell makers have their own proprietary twists on the graphite material they require. “A JDA enables us to openly collaborate with our customers to produce the specific material they want,” Jacobs told us. (See the feature article in our April-June 2023 issue.)

SK On is keen to strengthen its supply chain in North America, and to insure that its products comply with the Buy American rules of the Inflation Reduction Act. The company currently operates two EV battery plants in Commerce, Georgia, and is building three more US battery plants—two under a joint venture with Ford, and one through a joint venture with Hyundai.

“We will continue seeking partnerships with promising battery material companies in the region,” said Park Jong-jin, Vice President of Strategic Purchasing at SK On.

Source: SK On