US battery technology company Graphenix Development Inc. (GDI) is building a demonstration plant for silicon anodes in Farmsum, the Netherlands. Scheduled to become operational in early 2027, the facility will help GDI industrialize its production technology and supply anodes for customers to develop and test battery cells. Engineering firm Haskoning is supporting the project with design, engineering, safety analysis and construction support.
GDI’s anodes consist entirely of silicon, which can store substantially more lithium than the graphite commonly used in lithium-ion batteries. The Farmsum plant will use plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition combined with Plasmamax technology from Japan’s glass manufacturer AGC. GDI says the process can deposit silicon five to ten times faster than previous methods.
If the technology proves successful in Farmsum, GDI plans to scale up to a European production site with about 50 MWh of capacity within several years. Target applications include drones, defense, medical equipment, aviation and electric mobility. GDI already operates a smaller pilot production facility in Eindhoven.
