Cabot said the center, which will focus on technical collaboration with other battery manufacturers and customers to accelerate application innovation for its European battery materials product lines, will enable it to enhance its development capabilities and strengthen its technology engagements in the region.

Expected to commence operations by April this year, the facility is due to be completed in 2024.

With battery production forecast to grow by about 50% annually over the next four years, the new EMEA focal point is well positioned to support “immense growth” in batteries and help accelerate the transition to EV, said Shen Yi, the company’s president and general manager for battery materials.

The executive said the Münster area “represents an attractive choice to expand our battery R&D capabilities to support the enormous growth in battery and EV production throughout Europe while driving closer partnerships with battery producers and automakers.”

Cabot said it continues to develop innovative solutions for current and next-generation battery technologies such as high nickel cathode, silicon-containing anode, dry and aqueous electrode processing, as well as solid-state battery materials.

The company, which already has commercial sales with top global battery producers, noted that the innovations developed to date have further enabled it to build strong partnerships with the manufacturers.

Cabot’s Münster base will support development its full range of CCA products, including conductive carbons, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and carbon nanostructures (CNS), as well as blends and dispersions.

CCAs play a critical role in lithium-ion battery chemistry but the Münster center will also support other Cabot product lines that support the battery market, including fumed alumina for separator and cathode coatings and aerogel for thermal management.

To further its battery material efforts in the region, the US company is a member of the European Battery Alliance (EBA). The network of more than 800 participants covers the entire battery value chain and focuses on creating a competitive and sustainable battery cell manufacturing value chain in Europe.

Author: Dede Williams, Freelance Journalist