The 2024 All-Stars have often blazed new trails, finding opportunities in the challenges facing the industry, particularly businesses making strides on the path to electrification.
As demand for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery chemistry increases, a Canadian company has gained a competitive edge by providing a localized source for materials.
Nano One Materials Corp. has developed a new processing method, positioning itself in North America as a viable alternative to the established electric vehicle supply chain players in China.
“We can’t copy what’s happening in China and expect to beat them,” said CEO Dan Blondal, 59, in an interview with Automotive News Canada. “We have to innovate our way around.”
Based in Vancouver, Nano One focuses on cathode-active materials used in the positive side of lithium-ion batteries. In 2022, the company acquired one of North America’s few operational battery-material production hubs in Candiac, Quebec, and has since retrofitted the plant to utilize its innovative “one pot” processing technique.
“We have much more stringent environmental standards, which require the elimination of water and physical waste streams related to sodium sulfate,” said Blondal. This presents an opportunity for Nano One, as its process reduces both the cost and waste typically associated with cathode material production. One of the key changes at the Candiac plant was the decommissioning of equipment not required for Nano One's unique production method.
The next step is to build a commercial-scale plant that will increase its annual capacity from thousands of tonnes to tens of thousands of tonnes.
Read Full Article: https://canada.autonews.com/awards/2024-all-star-dan-blondal.
