Nexeon

An Oxfordshire company that makes silicon-based materials for battery anodes, to help electric vehicle and device batteries hold more energy.

About Nexeon

Nexeon makes silicon anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. The anode is the part of a battery that stores charge as it fills up. Most batteries use graphite for this, and Nexeon replaces it with silicon-based material, which it says can give up to 50% higher energy density at half the volume. The material is designed to drop into existing battery factories without major changes. It is aimed at electric vehicles, consumer electronics and medical devices.

The company describes itself as a global leader in silicon anode materials, and its stated aim is to improve battery performance and sustainability. That means longer-lasting batteries and faster charging, and it says its engineering manages the swelling that silicon normally suffers when it charges. A published interview describes its goal as making batteries better for wearables and cars and reaching production around the world.

Nexeon was founded in 2006 as a spin-off from Imperial College London. It is based at Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, and small volumes have been made in the Oxford area. Its first commercial-scale plant for its NSP2 material has been under construction in Gunsan, South Korea, with a planned output of 1,500 tonnes a year from 2025. It has also signed a binding supply agreement with Panasonic for its Kansas gigafactory. So while the science is based in the UK, the company works with partners in Asia and North America.

The people side is not described in detail on the pages we read. The company has been led by chief executive Dr Scott Brown, according to a 2022 interview, and the work needs chemists, materials scientists, process and chemical engineers, battery cell testers, quality teams, supply chain staff and commercial managers. The 2022 interview also describes plans for production in Europe, North America and Asia, so the business is international from the start. Chemistry and engineering graduates are the obvious fit, but so are people who like operations, data and customer work.

If you are interested in how an electric car battery is improved, this is a good company to read about. A single material change can add range to a whole car, and a UK university spin-off can end up supplying factories on the other side of the world.

What they do

• {'desc': 'A silicon-based replacement for graphite in battery anodes.', 'title': 'NSP2 silicon anode material'}
• {'desc': 'Designed to fit existing cell production lines.', 'title': 'Drop-in battery materials'}
• {'desc': 'Working with cell makers on electric vehicles and devices.', 'title': 'Battery development partnerships'}

Key facts

• Founded 2006 as an Imperial College London spin-off
• Based at Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxfordshire
• First commercial-scale NSP2 plant in Gunsan, South Korea, from 2025 (planned)
• NSP2 claims up to 50% higher energy density than graphite

Website: www.nexeonglobal.com