Australian battery materials and technology company Novonix and US auto firm Stellantis NV have announced the signing of a binding offtake agreement for a minimum of 86,250 tonnes, up to a target volume of 115,000 tonnes of high-performance synthetic graphite material. The material will be supplied to Stellantis’ cell manufacturing partners in North America over a six-year term starting in 2026 from Novonix’s Riverside facility and a planned expansion site.
Novonix’s Riverside facility is poised to become the first large-scale production site dedicated to high-performance synthetic graphite for the battery sector in North America and is slated to begin commercial production in 2025, with plans to grow output to 20,000 tonnes/year to meet current customer commitments.
Previously, the company announced the US Department of Energy Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC) awarded the company a US$100 million grant and was selected for a US$103 million investment tax credit towards the funding of the Riverside facility.
The company is also progressing plans to build a new production facility (in the southeastern US) that will have an initial capacity of 30,000 tonnes/year and plans to expand that facility to 75,000 tonnes/year.
Novonix says it is in discussions with the DOE Loan Program Office for an Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Program loan to support the construction of this new production facility. Its current plans call for total production to increase to at least 150,000 tonnes/year of synthetic graphite material to accommodate anticipated customer demand.
Stellantis is one of the world’s leading automakers with plans to invest more than EUR50 billion over the decade in electrification to deliver on its targets of reaching 100% passenger car battery-electric vehicles.
Stellantis is securing approximately 400 GWh of battery capacity, including support from battery manufacturing plants in North America and Europe.
Novonix adds it is looking forward to this long-term relationship with Stellantis to support its growth efforts in North America and abroad.