- Actively evaluating a joint venture to manufacture Nanoscale Structure Silicon (Si) powders for next generation Li-ion Si batteries.
- While Nanoscale Structure Silicon Powders improve Li-ion battery performance, high performance Silicon (Si) anodes are not presently commercially feasible due to high manufacturing costs.Â
- Specifically, two major issues have been identified as major impediments to commercial feasibility
- The cost of the high purity Silicon feed material needed, and the cost of transforming Silicon into Nanoscale Structure Silicon Powders for Li-ion batteries.
MONTREAL, Nov. 25, 2019 — HPQ Silicon Resources Inc.(“HPQâ€Â - “The Companyâ€)TSX-V: HPQ; FWB: UGE; Other OTC : URAGF; (“HPQâ€) announces that HPQ and PyroGenesis Canada Inc. (TSX-V: PYR) (“PyroGenesisâ€) are actively evaluating a joint venture to manufacture Nanoscale Structure Silicon (Si) powders for next generation Li-ion Si batteries.
NANOSCALE STRUCTURE SILICON POWDERS SELLING FOR US$ 30,000/Kg1
While Nanoscale Structure Silicon Powders improve Li-ion battery
performance, high performance Silicon (Si) anodes are not presently
commercially feasible due to high manufacturing costs. Specifically,
two (2) major issues have been identified as major impediments to
commercial feasibility. The cost of the high purity Silicon feed
material needed, and the cost of transforming Silicon into Nanoscale
Structure Silicon Powders for Li-ion batteries.
Combining the HPQ PUREVAP™ Quartz Reduction Reactor
(“QRR”) technology with PyroGenesis Plasma Atomization knowhow to
manufacture Nanoscale Structure Silicon (Si) powders, could potentially
resolve these 2 issues and lead the way to full commercialization of
Nanoscale Structure Silicon Powders. If successful, that should
subsequently lead to their wide scale adoption in the battery space. If
this occurs, HPQ and PyroGenesis would then be well positioned to
assume a market leadership position.
THE RACE IS ON TO BUILD A BETTER BATTERY: NANOSCALE STRUCTURE SILICON POWDERS NEEDED
Presently, Silicon powders is used in a blended form with graphite but its content is typically less than 5 wt%,
which reflects the infancy of Si anode technology and explains the
limited performance improvement achieved to date. Even at these levels,
however, this is estimated to represent an addressable market of US $
1B by 20222 expanding at a CAGR of 38.9% between 2019 – 2024.
The addressable market growth could be exponentially higher than projected as research suggests
that replacing graphite materials with Nanoscale Structure Silicon (Si)
powders in next generation Li-ion Batteries promises an almost tenfold
(10x) increase in the specific capacity of the anode, inducing a 20-40%
gain in the energy density of Li-ion batteries.
“PyroGenesis, the inventor of Plasma Atomization, has more than
20 years of experience manufacturing plasma atomized metal powders, so
if anybody has the knowhow to use silicon materials produced from HPQ
PUREVAP™QRR and manufacture Nanoscale Structure Silicon (Si) that can be
used as high-capacity anode materials for next generations Li-ion
batteries, it is them,†said Bernard Tourillon, President and CEO HPQ Silicon. “Silicon’s potential to meet energy storage demand is undeniable and generating massive investments, as well as, serious industry interest, so our timing could not be better.â€
“We are taken by the potential of this joint venture as it checks
all of the boxes we consider before evaluating a new business line: It
relates to our current activities, the market although niche is
potentially massive, our expertise would be game changing, and the risk
is low,†said Peter Pascali, President and CEO of PyroGenesis Canada Inc.
“We are equally excited about the market drivers for this product. The
potential from the battery and energy storage markets alone is
estimated, on first review, to be in the multi-billions of dollars. I
look forward to evaluating this opportunity more closely.â€
RENEWABLE AND EV DEMAND INDICATE GLOBAL ENERGY STORAGE MARKET READY TO EXPLODE
At current growth rates of 2% per year, global energy consumption will be an estimated 125,000 Terawatt-hours 2020, which is 800,000 times more than the estimated storage capacity.A recent report
by Wood Mackenzie Power projects that energy storage deployments are
estimated to grow 1,300% from a 12 Gigawatt-hour market in 2018 to a 158
Gigawatt-hour market in 2024. An estimated US$71 billion in
investments will be made into storage systems where batteries will make
up the lion’s share of capital deployment.
As reported by CNBC,
private Venture Capital backed firms are also exploring the use of
silicon in batteries and are positioning to provide the auto industry
with the solutions needed to substantially improve vehicle performance.
About Silicon
Silicon (Si) is one of today’s strategic materials needed to fulfil
the renewable energy revolution presently under way. Silicon does not
exist in its pure state; it must be extracted from quartz, one of the
most abundant minerals of the earth’s crust and other expensive raw
materials in a carbothermic process.
About HPQ Silicon
HPQ Silicon Resources Inc. is a TSX-V listed company developing, in
collaboration with industry leader PyroGenesis (TSX-V: PYR) the
innovative PUREVAPTM “Quartz Reduction Reactors†(QRR), a truly
2.0 Carbothermic process (patent pending), which will permit the
transformation and purification of quartz (SiO2) into Metallurgical
Grade Silicon (Mg-Si) at prices that will propagate its significant
renewable energy potential.
HPQ is also working with industry leader Apollon Solar to develop: Porous silicon wafers manufacturing using PUREVAP™
Silicon (PVAP Si) that can be used as anode for all-solid-state and
Li-ion batteries; and a metallurgical pathway of producing Solar Grade
Silicon Metal (SoG Si) that will take full advantage of the PUREVAPTM QRR
one-step production of high purity silicon (Si) and significantly
reduce the Capex and Opex associated with the transformation of quartz
(SiO2) into SoG-Si.
HPQ focus is becoming the lowest cost producer of Silicon (Si), High
Purity Silicon (Si), Porous Silicon Wafers and Solar Grade Silicon Metal
(SoG-Si). The pilot plant equipment that will validate the commercial
potential of the process is on schedule to start in 2019.
This News Release is available on the company’s CEO Verified Discussion Forum, a moderated social media platform that enables civilized discussion and Q&A between Management and Shareholders.
Disclaimers:
The Corporation’s interest in developing the PUREVAP™ QRR and any
projected capital or operating cost savings associated with its
development should not be construed as being related to the establishing
the economic viability or technical feasibility of the Company’s
Roncevaux Quartz Project, Matapedia Area, in the Gaspe Region, Province
of Quebec.
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements,
including, without limitation, statements containing the words “may”,
“plan”, “will”, “estimate”, “continue”, “anticipate”, “intend”,
“expect”, “in the process” and other similar expressions which
constitute “forward-looking information” within the meaning of
applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements reflect the
Company’s current expectation and assumptions and are subject to a
number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those anticipated. These forward-looking
statements involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited
to, our expectations regarding the acceptance of our products by the
market, our strategy to develop new products and enhance the
capabilities of existing products, our strategy with respect to research
and development, the impact of competitive products and pricing, new
product development, and uncertainties related to the regulatory
approval process. Such statements reflect the current views of the
Company with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks
and uncertainties and other risks detailed from time-to-time in the
Company’s on-going filings with the security’s regulatory authorities,
which filings can be found at www.sedar.com. Actual results, events, and
performance may differ materially. Readers are cautioned not to place
undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The Company
undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any
forward-looking statements either as a result of new information, future
events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services
Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture
Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this
release.
For further information contact
Bernard J. Tourillon, Chairman, President and CEO Tel (514) 907-1011
Patrick Levasseur, Vice-President and COO Tel: (514) 262-9239
http://www.hpqsilicon.com Email: [email protected]
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1 Source: Quotation from a producer (Confidential), Media article
2 Source Marketandmakerts.com