UK battery materials developer Echion Technologies has signed a memorandum of understanding with South Korean equipment maker Energy Tech Solution (ETS) to jointly develop cells built around Echion's niobium oxide-based anode material, XNO. ETS will handle cell design, supply manufacturing technology and act as contract manufacturer for demonstration cells at its facility in Chungju, producing XNO cells in cylindrical, prismatic and pouch formats. Echion describes ETS as the first "total battery solution provider" in its partner network.
XNO is positioned as a drop-in replacement for graphite anodes, compatible with existing cathode chemistries such as NMC or LFP and processable on standard electrode coating lines. Echion specifies continuous charging rates of up to 10C, equating to a theoretical full charge in around six minutes, and cites over 50,000 cycles under optimised conditions, or more than 15,000 in real-world industrial duty cycles. The company claims roughly double the energy density of lithium titanate (LTO), another chemistry known for fast charging and long cycle life but limited energy density.
Target applications include mining and rail vehicles, ships, forklifts, stationary storage and data-centre UPS systems—use cases prioritising charge speed and durability over maximum range. Echion has produced XNO at industrial scale since 2025 via a joint facility with niobium producer CBMM in Araxá, Brazil, rated at 2,000 tonnes annually, equivalent to about 1 GWh of cells.
The initial goal under the MoU is to demonstrate cells reaching the cited 10C charging and 50,000-cycle targets; whether these hold up in mass-produced cells under field conditions has yet to be confirmed.
Source: electrive.com — read the original article