REG - Gelion PLC - GEN 3 Lithium-Sulfur Battery Development Update

GelionAnnouncement

15/08/2024 07:00

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RNS Number : 5755A  Gelion PLC  15 August 2024

15 August 2024

 

Gelion plc

("Gelion" or the "Company" or the "Group")

GEN 3 Lithium-Sulfur Battery Development Update

Advancements towards unlocking the potential of sulfur batteries for a wider
range of global applications

 

Gelion (AIM: GELN), the Anglo-Australian battery innovator, announces an
update on its Next Generation ("GEN 3") Lithium-Sulfur (Li-S) battery
development.

 

Building on the announcements made in March and April 2024, Gelion has now
successfully developed 1 Ah semi-solid-state Li-S pouch cells with its GEN 3
cell technology. The Company's modelling from these 1 Ah GEN 3 cells predicts
that a 10 Ah cell can be expected to deliver energy density greater than 400
Wh/kg.

 

Gelion's GEN 3 technology uses a unique sulfur cathode material (fabricated
using a unique, low energy process carried out at room temperature),
water-based cathode processing (non-toxic), and a proprietary liquid
electrolyte. The GEN 3 platform is based on a specially engineered formulation
of commercially available materials in combination with abundant sulfur to
demonstrate high energy density and operational temperature capability.

 

John Wood, CEO of Gelion commented on the development: "Gelion has assembled a
formidable technology base and team to progress its development program
towards unlocking the full potential of this important cell chemistry. As an
evolution of GEN 2, the GEN 3 cell not only retains the high energy density of
its predecessor but also offers enhanced functionality. It is designed to
surpass the GEN 2 cell in both performance and manufacturability, paving the
way for scalable production."

 

Gelion's LiS Technology Development Pathway

 

 

Benefits of Gelion's GEN 3 over GEN 2

 

·    Higher energy density - Energy density expected to be greater than
400 Wh/kg, when using a 10 Ah pouch cell.

·    Increased longevity/cycle life: GEN 3 employs new sulfur chemistry to
increase stability, addressing the       major degradation factors
associated with conventional Li-S technology.

·    Increased sulfur utilisation: GEN 3 demonstrates the full theoretical
capacity of sulfur, i.e. a much higher sulfur utilisation than found in
conventional Li-S approaches.

·    Simplified supply chain: The innovative cathode combines specially
engineered, but commercially available, materials with abundant sulfur that
are produced using a low-energy, room-temperature process, eliminating the
need for pre-processing, streamlining the battery production process and
enabling localised manufacturing.

·    Environmental and economic benefits: The water-based, atmospheric
cathode production process              eliminates the need for toxic
solvents, leading to significant cost savings and enhanced manufacturability.

 

GEN 3 uses the extensive network of Li-S technologies developed within Gelion
and contained in the patents acquired from Johnson Matthey in March 2023.

 

Addressing the key barriers to commercialisation

 

The GEN 3 semi-solid-state Li-S cell builds on the GEN 2 Li-S cell (developed
by OXIS Energy) and addresses the key barriers to commercialisation faced by
typical lithium-sulfur developers.

 

Sulfur, being an abundant material, offers a future not limited by
geographically concentrated and controlled battery metals. However, other
lithium-sulfur developers often require the use of hard to obtain, rare or
costly materials and have to rely on high-energy and time-consuming processes.
Gelion's GEN 3 platform and production process circumvents these barriers.

 

The GEN 3 cell is designed to tolerate higher operational temperatures by
using Gelion's proprietary 'SulfurLock electrolyte' - which is free from
temperature-sensitive additives typically found in Li-S batteries.
Additionally, this electrolyte has been engineered to prevent sulfur
redistribution during operation, increasing cycle life, addressing the primary
cause of degradation in Li-S batteries.

 

Gelion's cathode uses a proprietary sulfur active cathode material, fabricated
using a unique, low energy process performed at room temperature. By using
this process, Gelion can eliminate the need to pre-fabricate the
cathode-active material. This has the potential to simplify the battery supply
chain and make the production of sulfur batteries not only easier, but also
more cost efficient than is the case for lithium-ion batteries, enhancing the
manufacturing options geographically.

 

 

The cathode utilised in this new cell design is fabricated using a water-based
process and standard atmospheric conditions. Compared with current battery
production, this will enable replacement of toxic solvents and produce large
electricity and cost savings for cathode production.

 

Gelion's GEN 3 cell is another step toward unlocking the potential of sulfur
batteries for a wide range of global applications including electrical
vertical-take-off-and-landing (eVTOL), drone markets, electric vehicles (EVs)
and stationary energy storage (ESS).

 

 

CONTACTS

 Gelion plc                                                                                         via Alma

 John Wood, CEO

 Amit Gupta, CFO

 Thomas Maschmeyer, Founder and Principal Technology Advisor

 Cavendish Capital Markets Limited (Nominated Adviser and Broker)  +44 207 220 0500
 Corporate Finance

 Neil McDonald; Seamus Fricker; Fergus Sullivan

 Sales

 Leif Powis

 Alma Strategic Communications (Financial PR Adviser)              +44 20 3405 0205

 Justine James; Hannah Campbell; Will Ellis Hancock                gelion@almastrategic.com

 

Glossary

 Ah                         Ampere hours. A measure of capacity stored in the cell. The larger the number
                            the higher the capacity.
 Energy density (Wh/kg)     The ratio of energy stored per unit weight i.e. Watt-hours per kilogram. The
                            higher the number the lighter the battery.
 Pouch cell                 An industry standard format of a battery which comprises a flat pouch-shaped
                            design with a multi-layered laminate structure.
 Solid-to-solid conversion  A low or polysulfide-free conversion of sulfur within the cathode.
                            Polysulfides are a dissolved form of sulfur that is corrosive and reduces
                            cycle life in traditional lithium-sulfur batteries. Solid-to-solid conversion
                            helps mitigate the formation of these polysulfides.

 

About Gelion

Gelion ("gel: ion") is a global energy storage innovator, supporting the
transition to a more sustainable economy by commercialising two globally
important next generation technologies: Lithium-Sulfur (Li-S) and Zinc-based
(Zn) hybrid cells to electrify mobile and stationary applications. Gelion plc
(the Group) is listed on the London Stock Exchange's AIM market and wholly
owns Australia based Gelion Technologies Pty Ltd. Gelion is designing and
delivering innovative battery technology to enable that transition and return
value for its customers and investors.

 

Lithium Sulfur

Gelion's effort is directed at the potential for the Li-S chemistry to deliver
double the gravimetric energy density of standard Lithium-ion chemistries
whilst concurrently reducing cost and increasing safety, targeting the EV and
e-aviation market, helping to make global transport, energy consumption and
storage more sustainable.

 

Gelion is developing a product for its high energy density sulfur cathode at
its expanded R&D facilities in Sydney, enabling it to integrate with a
variety of anodes ranging from graphite to silicon to lithium metal, depending
on the targeted application.

 

Gelion recently also expanded in the UK by acquiring OXLiD Ltd, significantly
increasing its capability in cathode improvement and thereby accelerating a
path to commercial partners and commercialisation.

 

Zinc

Gelion is adapting its zinc technology to comprise an alternate cathode
technology, a zinc hybrid cell to develop complementary next-generation
batteries for the lead-acid eco-system. Early testing indicates that this
solution has the potential to maintain good energy density levels with
enhanced cost and safety aspects. Once fully developed, Gelion intends for its
zinc technology to provide a durable and sustainable market extension within
the ecosystem that supports lead-acid batteries.

 

 

 

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