StoreDot accelerate to fast-charging eVs with silicon and tin
Pioneering lithium-ion battery start-up StoreDot is focusing on silicon and tin to achieve extreme fast charging. Their first five-minute batteries will be available for testing later this year, while mass production will begin in 2024.
StoreDot announcedthat they will work with Chinese manufacturer EVE Energy to mass-produce their XFC FlashBattery for electric vehicles (EVs). “XFC technology is absolutely critical to accelerating the adoption of petrol- and diesel-free vehicles by eliminating the barrier of range and charging anxiety”, said EVE’s Chairman of the Board, Dr. Liu Jincheng. Daimler, BP, and Samsung are also key investors in the StoreDot technology.
A key component of the development is a new anode material that replaces graphite with new high-capacity materials. “Most of our efforts currently are focused on transitioning to silicon and tin”, said StoreDot CEO Doron Myersdorf.
StoreDot had previously sent Gen 1 samples to potential customers with germanium-based anodes but found this metal was not sufficiently abundant and not affordable. Their Gen 2, silicon-tin, fast charging cell already records an energy density of 240 Wh/kg, with a longevity of 1,000 cycles possible by the end of the year.
By 2028, this energy density could almost double with the launch of Gen 3 cells. These are designed with a hybrid form of solid-state technology and could store 440 Wh/kg. Lead-acid batteries, by comparison, hold 35-40 Wh/kg.
Traditionally, lithium-ion batteries use a graphite (carbon) anode. These are extremely stable at normal charging rates but have a high electrical resistance. During fast-charging, this causes needle-like dendrites to form on the graphite anode surface, damaging the battery. StoreDot have replaced the solid graphite anode with tightly packed balls of silicon-tin to reduce resistance and increase conductivity. These nanoscale balls swell during charging, but there is enough room between the balls to limit swell-induced damage that has previously caused problems for non-graphite anodes.
Our view: EVs currently struggle to compete with petrol and diesel vehicles when it comes to refuelling; 3-4 miles per minute charging is the current industry standard for EVs. StoreDot hope their Gen 2 cells will provide 20 miles per minute, with Gen 3 reaching 25 miles per minute. If charging station innovation can keep up with StoreDot, their silicon-tin extreme fast charging cells could transform commercial EV charging.
Tin may be the ‘forgotten eV metal’. As other commodities gain public attention tin is quietly gaining momentum as a performance enhancing component in all of the three generations of advanced anode materials that have been roadmapped to 2030, plus some solid state technologies. Several hundred papers and patents have tracked development of tin-based materials to maximum theoretical capacity and even beyond. Although the field is highly competitive, startups and major OEMs are starting to signal their interest in tin and International Tin is monitoring developments with keen interest.
MSC got mining and smelting.Perfect match.to leverage each other.If the cost can tranfer down fantastic.The most important the new pant is very much efficient.
Every US$2,000/mt increase in our tin price assumption of US$25,000/mt in 2022 could raise MSC’s earnings by about 20% annually. If tin price remains at its current high of about US$37,000/mt in 2022, this could result in 23% upside to our target price of RM3.02 to RM3.73.
Tin - the ‘forgotten eV metal’. -massive boost for MSC
As other commodities gain public attention tin is quietly gaining momentum as a performance enhancing component in all of the three generations of advanced anode materials that have been roadmapped to 2030
StoreDot accelerate to fast-charging eVs with silicon and tin
Pioneering lithium-ion battery start-up StoreDot is focusing on silicon and tin to achieve extreme fast charging. Their first five-minute batteries will be available for testing later this year, while mass production will begin in 2024.
Malaysia Smelting Corp (MSC) Bhd, is currently trading at “cheap valuations of four times 2022 forecast price to earnings (PE) at the spot price of circa US$35,000 (RM146,230) per tonne,” according to UOB Kay Hian (UOBKH) Research.
“If tin price remains high at this current level in 2022, this could result in a 20% upside to our target price of RM3.02 at RM3.61,” UOB Kay Hian said in a note to clients.
Business-wise, a more meaningful growth will be seen in 2022 when its new eco-friendly plant runs at 100% capacity. MSC’s production will be done at its new smelting plant in Pulau Indah as it shuts down its 100-year-old reverberatory furnaces in Penang.
“The new smelter boasts production costs that are at least 20% lower than the old ones. This is due to the state-of-the-art technology which uses a top submerged lance furnace that provides better efficiency via its single-stage smelting versus multistage smelting process used previously,” said UOBKH Research.
The plant will also have 50% higher production capacity while requiring over 40% less manpower.
This will also help reduce MSC’s carbon footprint through the use of natural gas, solar panels and waste heat recovery.
The research firm noted that despite the movement control order (MCO), MSC posted a healthy net profit of RM25mil for the first half of 2021 compared with a net loss of RM12.3mil in the same period in 2020.
“As the MCO eases, MSC is currently operating at 100% workforce capacity. As such, we can expect stronger earnings moving forward as MSC ramps up its production. We believe the drop in production this year will be partially mitigated by the lofty tin prices,” it added.
According to the research firm, the group is expected to post a three-year (2021-2023) earnings compound annual growth rate of 97% as it is poised to benefit from strong tin prices and robust structural demand from the potential adoption of next generation technologies amid the market’s supply shortage. MSC’s future growth will be further supported by exploration of new mines and development of its Butterworth land, it added.
MSC's state of the art new smelter boasts production costs that are at least 20% lower than the old ones. This is due to the state-of-the-art technology which uses a top submerged lance furnace that provides better efficiency via its single-stage smelting versus multistage smelting process used previously - per UOBKH Research.
The plant will also have 50% higher production capacity while requiring over 40% less manpower.
The TIN price @ LME is hovering around US$36,000 per ton is a massive boost to MSC's bottomline.
The EV revolution and move towards more sustainable energy sources gather pace, tin will have a new and crucial role to play in this new lower-carbon world. It is an essential input for EVs and their batteries, as well as for renewable energy generation, energy storage and the electronics needed to control and distribute that energy.
According to the International Tin Association, tin demand could rise by up to 60,000 tonnes per year for use in EVs and energy storage by 2030*. Research is also looking into the applications of tin alloys in various battery technologies, including lithium-ion and zinc-ion batteries.
When alloyed with other metals, tin can help to create more powerful conductive pathways, enhancing battery performance and delivering more efficient power distribution. It can also be used as a protective coating on anodes, improving the stability of the battery.
This book is the result of the author's many years of experience and observation throughout his 26 years in the stockbroking industry. It was written for general public to learn to invest based on facts and not on fantasies or hearsay....
Hafid
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Posted by Hafid > 2021-09-15 15:24 | Report Abuse
buy below rm1.40 to rm1.80 is strong buy.