• Altech Chemicals (ATC) hits a number of key milestones in the commercialisation of Fraunhofer’s CERENERGY battery
• Since launching the CERENERGY SAS 60-kilowatt-hour battery pack, ATC has finalised the design basis for a 100-megawatt-hour battery plant
• Key equipment suppliers have also been appointed and are being integrated to work closely with the various project teams
• Altech is in discussions with potential offtake parties, including a leading German energy producer
• Altech shares are up 17.65 per cent and trading at 10 cents at 3:28 pm AEDT

Altech Chemicals (ATC) has hit a number of key milestones in the commercialisation of Fraunhofer’s CERENERGY battery.

The parties entered a joint venture agreement in September to commercialise the sodium alumina solid-state battery.

Since launching the CERENERGY SAS 60 kilowatt-hour battery pack in November, Altech’s Managing Director Iggy Tan said the company had “raced to get the project moving”.

Altech held two expert workshops with the aim to bring forward detailed design requirements for a production plant.

The company said its team was able to finalise the design basis for a 100-megawatt-hour battery plant, with the production of the 60-kilowatt-hour ABS60 battery packs amounting to 1,666 packs per year.

Additionally, a preliminary layout of the battery plant and site layout was completed.

Leadec, appointed as the lead engineer for the definitive feasibility study for the battery project by Altech back in October, is now developing technical specifications on which potential suppliers can base their quotes.

In this vein, key equipment suppliers have been appointed and are being integrated to work closely with the various project teams.

Altech also appointed Arikon Infrastruktur to manage the approval process, site infrastructure requirements, and balance of plant for the CERENERGY SAS battery facility.

Arikon will be responsible for managing the application process and working with relevant regulatory bodies to obtain all necessary approvals for the project.

Moving forward, Mr Tan said the Altech team was in discussions with potential interested off-take parties, including a leading German energy producer that had expressed an imminent requirement to secure energy storage solutions.

In terms of funding, the company said it was exploring various grant schemes within Germany at a state and federal level, as well as with the European Union. Discussions have already been held with European banks in preparation for the funding stage.

Altech shares were up 17.65 per cent and trading at 10 cents at 3:28 pm AEDT.