REG - Gelion PLC - Strategic Partnership with Max Planck Institute

GelionAnnouncement

27/03/2025 07:15

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RNS Number : 4673C  Gelion PLC  27 March 2025

27 March 2025

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

Strategic Partnership with Max Planck Institute

Gelion to leverage MPI's breakthrough in Next-Generation Sulfur Batteries

Gelion plc (AIM: GELN), the global energy storage innovator, is pleased to
announce a strategic cooperation agreement with the Max Planck Institute
(MPI), Potsdam, to develop high-power, high-cycle life sulfur batteries with
high energy densities.

Highlights

·    The partnership brings together Gelion's advanced battery technology
designs with MPI's breakthrough nano-confined         carbon/sulfur
composite cathode( # ) and anode material technologies;

·      The novel sulfur composite technology has been successfully tested
by MPI in sodium-sulfur (Na-S) cells, demonstrating both      long cycle
life (many hundreds of cycles) and high-power capabilities (10C), highlighting
its potential for use in long duration stationary storage as well as EVs,
leveraging off its low-cost materials and its fast-charging characteristics
(below 10 minutes);

·      Initial testing relevant to Gelion's lithium-sulfur (Li-S)
technology (energy density of +400 Wh/kg) has also shown great promise and the
technology is expected to make a substantive positive contribution to cycle
life and power characteristics;

·      The agreement enables Gelion to integrate the technologies,
designs and expertise of both parties to fully demonstrate MPI's nano-confined
materials - initially in coin and then in larger, commercially relevant pouch
cell formats - for both Na-S and Li-S batteries;

·      Under the agreement, both parties will formally combine their
intellectual property (IP), with Gelion granted an exclusive option to acquire
exclusive commercial rights to any jointly developed IP and relevant
background IP;

·    The board of Gelion believes that this collaboration aligns
seamlessly with Gelion's sulfur battery strategy and significantly accelerates
its pathway to commercialisation.

MPI's data has demonstrated charge and discharge rates down to below 10
minutes, with Na-S batteries at lifetimes well in excess of many hundreds of
cycles and at capacities that suggest achievable energy densities of the best
current Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries. The first phase of testing has
already commenced at Gelion's facilities, with promising early results that
validate the main elements of MPI's testing and signal a bright future for
this pioneering technology.

The agreement will enable Gelion to integrate both technologies and fully
demonstrate MPI's cathode composite initially in coin and then in larger,
commercially relevant pouch cell formats, both for Na-S and Li-S batteries.
This collaboration aligns seamlessly with Gelion's sulfur battery strategy and
significantly accelerates its pathway to commercialisation.

A New Era for Sulfur Batteries

The Board of Gelion believes that the MPI technology represents a major leap
forward for sulfur-based energy storage. It combines power, energy density,
and long cycle life, three essential characteristics previously difficult to
achieve in a single cell. Notably, it addresses key challenges in sulfur
battery development by providing a path towards rapid charge and discharge
rates with outstanding stability, while utilising low-cost, abundant materials
like carbon, sodium, and sulfur.

Partnership for Progress

The collaboration will also focus on scaling anode technologies that improve
safety and durability, addressing industry concerns around metal dendrites. By
integrating MPI's novel nano-confined anode materials with Gelion's innovative
battery designs, the partnership aims to create commercially viable,
high-performance energy storage solutions.

Summary of Agreement between Gelion and Max Planck Institute

Under the agreement between Gelion and the Max Planck Institute, both parties
will combine their intellectual property to develop new technologies, with
Gelion granted an exclusive option to acquire exclusive commercial rights to
any jointly developed IP and relevant background IP. This option can be
exercised during the three-year collaboration period or within six months
after its conclusion, with any rights acquired being subject to a licensing
agreement on reasonable commercial terms. Throughout the partnership, MPI will
dedicate two researchers to the project, with Gelion covering their costs,
focusing on core technology development and testing while also contributing to
commercialisation.

Gelion CEO, John Wood, commented: "This collaboration harnesses a unique
hybrid approach that synergistically enables both conversion and intercalation
on each electrode.  Sulfur has always been about high energy density but
struggled with power and cycle life.  By merging Gelion's and MPI's
approaches we are now demonstrating the potential to provide all three
characteristics in one cell.

This goes beyond being simply a 'better battery', because it conceptually
re-defines some of the very essence inside the cell.

Gelion and MPI have set a collaboration plan utilising the best capabilities
of each team to build on the positive test results already achieved and to
deliver sulfur cell technology that does not compromise and delivers high
performance in energy, power, and cycle life."

Prof. Dr. Markus Antonietti, Director at MPI, added: "We are excited to
partner with Gelion to commercialise our groundbreaking sulfur battery
technology. Together, we aim to deliver affordable, sustainable, and
high-performance energy solutions to meet global demands."

Prof. Thomas Maschmeyer, Gelion Founder and Director, said: "Having known
Prof. Antonietti and admired his work for more than two decades, it is
wonderful that we are now able to join both efforts, to generate a
world-leading technology package. The combined capabilities of Gelion and the
MPI are exceptional and can deliver cheap and safe energy storage with highly
attractive performance characteristics based on some of the most abundant and
well-distributed elements imaginable - carbon, sodium and sulfur."

( # ) Ref: https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202407300
(https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202407300)

CONTACTS

 Gelion plc                                                                                                                                                                                                via Alma
 John Wood, CEO

Amit Gupta,
 CFO
 Prof. Thomas Maschmeyer (Founder and Director)
 Strand Hanson Limited (Nominated and Financial Adviser)                                                                                                                                                   +44 (0) 20 7409 3494

Christopher Raggett / Rob Patrick
 Oberon Capital (Broker)                                                                                                                                                                                   +44 (0) 20 3179 5300
 Nick Lovering / Mike Seabrook / Adam Pollock

 Alma Strategic Communications (Financial PR)                                                                                                                                                              +44 (0) 20 3405 0205

Justine James / Hannah Campbell / Will Ellis Hancock                                                                                                                                                     gelion@almastrategic.com (mailto:gelion@almastrategic.com)

About Gelion

Gelion ("gel: ion") is a global energy storage innovator, supporting the
transition to a more sustainable economy by commercialising globally important
next generation battery technologies: Sulfur based, Lithium-Sulfur (LiS),
Sodium-Sulfur (NaS) and Zinc-based (Zn) hybrid cells to electrify mobile and
stationary applications. Gelion plc (the Group) is listed on the London Stock
Exchange's Alternative Investment Market and wholly owns UK based OXLiD Ltd
and Battery Minerals Ltd and 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.

About the Max Planck Institute (MPI)

The Max Planck Society (MPG), formerly the Kaiser Wilhelm Society, is the
pre-eminent and largest German, non-profit research organization with near
unmatched global prestige, conducting basic research in natural, life, and
human sciences through its 84 institutes and facilities, which all have
specific missions.

The Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Colloid and Interface Science is one of the
world's leading deep technology research centres in that area and know for
exceptional breakthroughs in materials science, e.g. highly conductive and
stable carbon/nitrogen composites that are more 'noble' than gold.

 

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