This compared 5 companies in the HPA space in Australia - there are more now but at the time this comparison included : Alpha HPA - Latest (sep 2021) shows supply of precursors for Anodes, Cathodes, Separators. Fully quoted ($27.6M capex, 200tpa 5N) Gladstone facility which is where major hydrogen investments have just been announced including from a short time ago, Sumitomo (they are also mentioned below) - they are working in with Orica to establish reagent/by-product supply chains. Altech Chemicals - Johor plant update in July 2020 showing the substation, not long after Saxony site mentioned. FYI Resources - JV in WA with Alcoa who will fund up to 3 phases of a project build using kaolin for 65% ownership. Up to US$194M. Pure Alumina - Rebranded Peak Minerals & can't see a reference to their HPA development on their site Salazar Minerals - Not much to be found on this
(also identified the existing majors from Japan - Sumitomo Chemicals, Sasol, Nippon Light / France America - Baikowski / China - Hebei, Zibo, Xuan Cheng, Dalin / South Korea - HMR Co)
The authors of the report were declared holders in Alpha & the low CAPEX/OPEX was attributed to a hydromet process as opposed to the alternate processes the other four were using - left to right - HPA | Altech | FYI | Pure Alumina | Salazar
I've pointed out the significant number of companies which Deutsche Balaton have invested in Australia but there is another association which is common across quite a few of these - SMS Group/SMS Siemag who are a significant solution provider to the metallurgical sector.
At the time of the report publication major holder in ATC were - the top (9.4%) & bottom (6.8%) are both Deutsche Balaton
Fraunhofer who Altech commissioned in March 2020 to look at HPA use in Lithium batteries are a world renowned research institution who have been particularly active with R&D on emerging decarbonisation technologies - Concentrated Photovoltaics / Multi-Junction cells is one example.
That aside however, the advantage of hydrometallurgical process has me thinking seriously about this comment from another company which shares both Deutsche Balaton as a major holder & SMS Siemag as the engineering development group. And this is not intended to cross promote at all, just ask a question.
Since 2016 SMS have been associated with TNG Ltd working on the TIVAN hydrometallurgical process. And well - major holders - 3, 5. 6 are Deutsche Balaton. Numer 7 is SMS.
Now back in October of 2017, which was AFTER SMS had started working with TNG, they published this line in one of their mining 121 presentations : I can't recall them making this comment again after this.
So....pulling this line of thought together..... Hydrometallurgical is a selling point for TIVAN as it reduces energy inputs, substitutes some pyromet processes with atmospheric temp/pressure processes. It sounds like Alpha have gone down that road & developed their own hydromet process for at the time of the report, an unknown feedstock - their site has "readily available aluminium chemical feedstocks"
ATC/TNG share a major holder. They also share an engineering firm with expertise in metallurgy. The 2016 agreement between TNG/SMS was to develop this hydrometallurgical process. That is 5 years ago.
So I have to wonder, noting the Alpha HPA hydromet process is their secret sauce, whether ATC/SMS have investigated the same for processing their kaolin from Meckering. Noting the SiO2 % from their Kaolin deposit & the TNG preso comment from 4 years ago re: "Extraction of other valuable fractions of....high-purity Silicon"
At the end of the day - eye on the prize is the lowest cost Lithium-Ion battery. Multiple development pathways exist with multiple contenders in each. They would all be watching their peers & if someone claims they have something better & cheaper, would be remiss not to investigate.
As I am only looking at this now due to someone pointing out the FYI/Alcoa deal. Combine this with Alpha HPA presentations now including HPA being used in Li-Ion batteries in the ANODE, factor in what I know of Fraunhofer & then look at Iggy's extremely good presentations & it seems like this liquid/calcined HPA coating could be the reason.
Any thoughts are appreciated - particularly any that cut this theory (exploring hydromet separation) to shreds.
(20min delay)