Westwater Resources, Inc., an energy technology and battery-grade natural graphite company (“Westwater Resources” or the “Company”), today announces a joint development agreement (“JDA”) with SK On (“SK On”), a leading electric vehicle battery manufacturer, supplying electric vehicle batteries to Ford, Hyundai, Volkswagen and others.
Under the JDA, the two companies will work together to develop environmentally responsible, high performance anode materials customized for SK On batteries. Upon the successful completion of the development effort, the parties expect to negotiate another agreement that may allow for the sale of potentially all Coated Spherical Purified Graphite (“CSPG”) anode material from the Kellyton Graphite Processing Plant.
“The JDA with SK On is another major advancement in Westwater’s graphite business, and we are extremely excited to partner with a leading global battery manufacturer,” said Terence Cryan, Westwater’s Executive Chairman. “Following the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, many battery manufacturers have sought to secure North American anode material from our Kellyton plant.”
“SK On has been pursuing strategic partnerships to secure high-quality battery raw materials to support our growing U.S. manufacturing base,” said Sun Heeyoung, SK On Vice President in charge of advanced research. “With this agreement, we will continue to strengthen our materials supply chain in North America and ensure we can help meet the increasing demand for electric vehicles in the U.S.”