Phase I of the institutional project with an annual production capacity of 2,500 tons of large carbon intermediate phase (a key raw material for lithium-ion battery manufacturing) has been completed.

Mumbai: Epsilon Carbon, a coal tar derivative company, has entered the battery materials business by setting up a manufacturing facility in Ballari district of Karnataka to produce graphite anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.

Epsilon Carbon Vikram Handa “With India’s aggressive pursuit of an electric vehicle policy,” he said Epsilon Graphite anode manufacturing will enable India to achieve self-sufficiency in key raw materials for lithium batteries. ‘

Handa added that the company plans to invest Rs 5 billion by 2025 to build 50,000 tons of anode material capacity through its newly formed subsidiary Epsilon Advanced Materials.

Negative electrode materials include carbon and alloy-based materials such as silicon, tin, antimony and nitride.

The first phase of the bulk carbon intermediate phase production unit with a capacity of 2,500 tons per year (TPA), a key raw material for lithium-ion battery manufacturing, has been completed and the company is committed to completing the financial year by the end of the year. The capacity will be expanded to 15,000 tons per year in 2021.

Epsilon protects its know-how and technology through patent applications worldwide.

“Epsilon Advanced Materials was founded to be the preferred supplier of synthetic graphite materials to battery manufacturers and energy producers. The company has begun testing with global cathode material manufacturers and battery makers to begin the certification phase.” . The company said in a statement. Mumbai will also provide customized graphite powder for a variety of specialty products and industries. It includes molded and cast parts, brake linings, lubricants and crucibles for various metal industry applications.

In March 2020, the company said it plans to set up a Rs 900-crore core integrated carbon black plant with a total capacity of 300,000 tons per annum in Ballari district of Karnataka. However, the company said that the plant start-up was planned for October 2020 year due to COVID-19 delays.

Carbon black is an additive used in rubber products such as tires, color pigments and inks, and is also used as a conductive agent in high-tech devices.