Orbia and Solvay Finalize Joint Venture Agreement

November 2, 2023

to Build PVDF Production Capacity in North America for Lithium-ion Batteries

BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Orbia’s Fluorinated Solutions business and Solvay have signed their joint venture agreement to create the largest polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) production facilities for battery materials in the North America region. This partnership brings security of supply with Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) compliant materials and leading-edge PVDF technology together for solutions that are critical to the North American electric vehicle (EV) transition.

With significant expected growth of the U.S. EV and stationary energy storage market, demand for lithium-ion batteries will grow considerably and necessitate a robust, secure and local supply chain. The Orbia-Solvay partnership secures supply of critical minerals and intermediate materials from Orbia, from which Solvay will manufacture suspension-grade PVDF: a lithium-ion binder and separator coating in electric vehicle batteries. Solvay brings process technology and global market know-how to this venture. In combination, Solvay’s Solef® PVDF innovations and Orbia’s material assets and production expertise will enable delivery of PVDF that allows electric vehicles to go further on each charge, extends battery life and improves battery safety in turn.

Said Ilham Kadri, CEO of Solvay, “We are proud of this important project, which is a key milestone in our electrification strategy, emphasizing our global commitment to sustainable mobility. Our partnership with Orbia puts us in the driving seat to shore up an independent, sustainable EV battery supply chain in North America and create clean energy jobs.”

“Our partnership with Solvay underscores our continued commitment to enabling the clean energy transition with our investments in energy materials. Orbia has a unique ‘mine-to-market’ position with integration in key battery materials needed to bolster North America’s EV supply chain and be IRA- compliant,” said Sameer Bharadwaj, CEO of Orbia.

Orbia and Solvay intend to use two production sites: one in Augusta, Georgia for finished products and one in St. Gabriel, Louisiana for raw material conversion to needed intermediates. Both plants are expected to be operational in 2026.

The company’s participation in this joint venture contributes to the company’s overall strategic position as a key supplier of battery materials, including electrolyte salts such as LiPF6, custom electrolyte formulations, specialty battery additives and recycled anodes.

About Orbia

Orbia is a company driven by a shared purpose: to advance life around the world. Orbia operates in the Polymer Solutions (Vestolit and Alphagary), Building and Infrastructure (Wavin), Precision Agriculture (Netafim), Connectivity Solutions (Dura-Line) and Fluorinated Solutions (Koura) sectors. The five Orbia business groups have a collective focus on expanding access to health and well-being, reinventing the future of cities and homes, ensuring food, water, and sanitation security, connecting communities to information and enabling the energy transition with basic and advanced materials, specialty products and innovative solutions. Orbia has a global team of over 24,000 employees, commercial activities in more than 100 countries and operations in over 50, with global headquarters in Boston, Mexico City, Amsterdam, and Tel Aviv. The company generated $9.6 billion in revenue in 2022.

About Orbia Fluorinated Solutions (Koura)

Orbia’s Fluorinated Solutions business, Koura, is a global leader in the development, manufacture and supply of fluoroproducts that play a fundamental role in enhancing everyday lives and shortening the path to a sustainable, circular economy. Backed by over 35 years of experience, Orbia Fluorinated Solutions (Koura) products are used in a vast range of applications including electric vehicles and energy storage, urban and rural infrastructure, indoor climate management, food, and medicine refrigeration and even in treating respiratory conditions through the development of healthy and innovative low-GWP propellants for metered-dose inhalers. Orbia Fluorinated Solutions (Koura) has 1,600 employees and 13 manufacturing facilities worldwide, serving 60 countries through a global sales and distribution network.

Contacts

Media Contact, Orbia Global

Kacy Karlen

Chief Communications Officer, Orbia

kacy.karlen@orbia.com
865.410.3001

Media Contact, Orbia Fluorinated Solutions (Koura)

Valeria Barragan Villanueva

Director, Product Management, Koura

valeria.barragan@kouraglobal.com
+44 7873 626557

Investor Relations Contact, Orbia Global

Gerardo Lozoya

Investor Relations Director, Orbia