Expansions: BTR opens anode plant in Indonesia; Sabic mulls thermoplastics compounding plant in China

Chinese battery materials firm BTR New Material Group has officially launched production at its new lithium-ion battery anode materials plant in Indonesia. Upon full completion it will make the facility the largest anode production site outside China, it adds.

The project's first phase, which involved a US$478 million investment, boasts an annual production capacity of 80,000 tonnes of anode materials. The second phase, scheduled to start in late 2024 with an additional US$299 million investment, will expand the total capacity to 160,000 tonnes.

BTR has held the top global market share for anode materials for 14 years, serving major lithium-ion battery manufacturers such as Panasonic, Samsung SDI, LGES, SKOn, CALT, and BYD. Its product portfolio includes natural and artificial graphite, silicon-based materials, and high-nickel ternary cathode materials. The Indonesian plant will supply diverse anode materials for electric vehicles, consumer batteries, and energy storage systems.

In line with the expanding global new energy market, BTR has also set up anode and cathode material plants in Indonesia and Morocco. This Indonesian facility represents the first international expansion for China's anode material industry and is a key part of BTR's global growth strategy. Drawing on over 20 years of expertise, BTR aims to strengthen its supply chain and deliver high-quality materials to global markets.

During the construction of the first phase, BTR employed 4,000 local workers. The project, completed in just 10 months, will create an additional 1,200 jobs once production begins. This new facility addresses crucial gaps in the supply of lithium-ion battery anode materials in Indonesia and the ASEAN region, enhancing the new energy sector and upgrading industrial infrastructure in Indonesia.

As part of its commitment to sustainability, the Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP) will complete a photovoltaic power plant exceeding 10 MWh this year, and the Kendal Industrial Park (KIP) will operate entirely on green power. These efforts highlight BTR's focus on environmental sustainability and represent a significant step towards a greener future, it furthers.

Meanwhile in other news, chemical firm Sabic has signed a potential investment agreement with the Fujian government to build an engineering thermoplastics compounding plant in China’s Fujian Province.

The planned compounding plant will be located in the Gulei Port Economic Development Zone, Zhangzhou, Fujian. It will primarily produce pelletised Lexan Polycarbonate (PC) and Cycoloy PC/ABS blends for use in advanced materials tailored to the needs of industries including electrical and consumer electronics, automotive, and emerging sectors such as solar energy, electrification, and 5G.

The site will include compounding lines, colour development capabilities, and advanced equipment that will enable Sabic to work with its customers and partners to create new innovative solutions for engineering plastics.

The new investment further underscores Sabici’s efforts to meet the unique requirements for differentiated innovative solutions from its local customers in China while strengthening its roots in the Chinese market and its contributions to the high-quality and sustainable development of the chemical industry, it adds.

Abdulrahman Al-Fageeh, Sabic CEO said, “This investment agreement marks another significant milestone for Sabic’s growth in China and reflects our continued confidence in investing in the country. By creating synergy with upstream and downstream partners, the project aims to strengthen our supply capability in compounding products and serve this important strategic market with innovative and consistently high-quality material solutions. Building on this, we will continue to collaborate with our existing global and local partners and customers to grow together in China.”

In addition to the planned engineering thermoplastics compounding plant, Sabic operates a Technology Centre in Shanghai and three compounding plants in Guangzhou, Shanghai and Chongqing, alongside operations in 17 cities across China.

The new plant is also expected to create synergies with SABIC’s two existing joint ventures – Sinopec Sabic Tianjin Petrochemical Co. Ltd. (SSTPC) and Sabic Fujian Petrochemicals Co. Ltd. (SFPC) – in the delivery of differentiated solutions and products.

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