OneD produces first batch of enhanced battery graphite

MOSES LAKE — The OneD plant in Moses Lake is up and running. There’s still some construction going on and the facility is still a ways away from full production, but it did put about a kilogram of SINANODE into a batch of graphite on July 22, according to OneD CEO Vincent Pluvinage. SINANODE is OneD’s creation, an enhanced graphite that enables lithium-ion electric vehicle batteries to hold a greater charge, which translates to faster charging and longer range. The Washington plant is what’s called a pilot scale production lab, explained Plant Manager Nick Kamerath. “We’ve got our R&D facility in Palo Alto, California, where they’ve developed this processor the last 12 years,” Kamerath said. “And now we’re kind of taking that up to the next level, proving the scalability of that, working with the customers on their needs and standards.” The amount of SINANODE actually produced was a long way short of the 100 tons per year OneD anticipates when it’s completely up and running, Kamerath said.