Rockwell Automation and NEO Battery Materials to Collaborate on Silicon Anode Facility

Rockwell Automation announced a collaboration with Ontario-based silicon anode active materials company, NEO Battery Materials. The collaboration aims to deliver solutions to aid the battery material manufacturer on its first North American facility, a 240-ton facility with the capacity to grow up to 5,000 tons of silicon anode material per year in Windsor, Ontario.

This opportunity is significant for the battery value chain as the securing of the critical battery materials market has been a key focus of governments and downstream manufacturers globally. This makes recipients of these funds highly motivated to get started building critical infrastructure as part of the North American value chain. A key player in the industry, Rockwell Automation, and NEO will collaborate on automation solutions to make the planned Windsor silicon facility a creative manufacturing differentiator across the battery value chain.

Silicon anode materials are a promising technology with the potential to revolutionize the battery industry, gaining significant traction due to their advantages over traditional graphite anodes. Silicon can theoretically store more than 10 times the capacity than graphite given the same mass, resulting in increased battery range and performance. Silicon anodes also offer ultra-fast charging capabilities compared to their graphite counterpart.

As NEO grows its capabilities, it envisions expanding operations in the United States to pursue silicon anode manufacturing activities and value-added projects, where Rockwell Automation is engaged to help launch further facilities in Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia in the future.