- Norway-based synthetic graphite manufacturers, Vianode, have signed a multi-billion dollar deal to provide synthetic graphite to automotive giant General Motors.
- The agreement signed between the two companies includes increasing production capacity and supply of synthetic anode graphite towards 2033.
- Production of the anode graphite for General Motors will start in 2027, from a mass production plant located in North America – strengthening and localising GM’s EV supply chain.
Future GM EVs to use synthetic graphite made in the U.S.
The material supplied from Vianode to GM will be used in its Ultium Cells joint venture with LG Energy, and will be used in the next generation of EV batteries for GM. While synthetic graphite has traditionally been more expensive than natural graphite, that’s something Vianode hopes to change – while it also claims that it can produce synthetic anode graphite with a 90% reduction in CO2 compared to conventional methods of production.
The North American anode graphite site, on which a location has not yet been confirmed, will exist alongside Vianode’s existing mass-scale facility in Norway, which itself provides a key link in Europe’s own EV supply chain. By 2030, the firm hopes to supply materials to 3 million electric vehicles per year. This, combined with Vianode’s expansion of operations into North America, shows the firm’s clear intentions to become a global player in the EV and battery industry.
Burkhard Straube, CEO of Vianode, commented:
“Vianode’s advanced battery materials enable cost-efficient batteries and EVs with better performances and a fraction of the carbon emissions of conventional technologies. Our recent creation of Vianode North America and this agreement to supply GM’s North American EV business, are key building blocks for a local, resilient supply chain for critical battery materials outside of Asia. We are proud of and honored that GM has chosen us as a strategic partner. This underlines Vianode’s capability and the way in which we will contribute to shaping the North American battery value chain.”
Jeff Morrison, Senior Vice President of Global Purchasing and Supply Chain at General Motors, added:
“This agreement with Vianode for the development of artificial graphite is another great example of GM’s strategic effort to build a sustainable battery supply chain in North America. This project will help advance our battery technology and drive greater value to our customers.”