Sicona Battery Technologies gets AUD 45 million from ARENA for silicon-carbon anode plant in Australia

Sicona Battery Technologies, an Australian battery materials company backed by Himadri Speciality Chemical, has secured up to AUD 45 million from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to build a commercial scale demonstration facility at BlueScope Steel's Port Kembla site in New South Wales. The funding comes under ARENA's Battery Breakthrough Initiative and targets the production of Sicona's silicon-carbon (SiCx) anode material for lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles and energy storage systems. Sicona claims its silicon-carbon anode can boost energy density by up to 20% and cut charging time by 40% compared to conventional graphite anodes. The material is designed to work with existing lithium-ion battery manufacturing lines, which could lower the barrier for battery makers to adopt the technology. The demonstration plant will produce qualification samples for battery manufacturers and EV OEMs, with the goal of securing offtake agreements and scaling up commercial production. Himadri Speciality Chemical, an existing investor, sees this as part of its broader push into advanced battery materials and specialty carbon products.