HPQ Silicon Inc. strategic partner Novacium SAS has launched exploratory technical work with Tokai COBEX Savoie to evaluate an integrated European anode material solution for lithium-ion batteries.

The research and development teams at both French companies are examining the compatibility and performance of combining Novacium’s high-capacity silicon-based anode materials with battery-grade synthetic graphite produced by Tokai COBEX.

The collaboration pairs Novacium’s silicon technology—designed to increase energy capacity—with synthetic graphite boasting a stated purity of 99.99%. Tokai COBEX produces its battery graphite in France using a block process that yields a carbon footprint of less than 3 kg of CO₂ equivalent per kilogram of material. By comparison, conventional battery graphites have a reassessed carbon footprint of approximately 40 kg CO₂ equivalent per kilogram.

The technical work remains exploratory and is not subject to any contract or binding commercial commitment between the parties at this stage.

HPQ holds a strategic 36.8% equity interest in Novacium SAS and retains exclusive North American commercialization rights for Novacium’s technologies under the HPQ ENDURA+ brand.

The proximity of Novacium’s Solaize facility and Tokai COBEX’s Vénissieux research centre near Lyon is expected to facilitate technical exchanges and shorten testing cycles as the teams evaluate the techno-economic viability of an integrated European anode solution.

“This collaboration illustrates Novacium’s strategic positioning. As graphite-based anode materials approach their theoretical capacity limits, integrating silicon-based materials represents one of the most promising avenues for enabling graphite manufacturers to offer higher-performance anode materials. This initiative aims to transform Novacium’s expertise in silicon-based materials into practical solutions for demanding applications, in collaboration with leading industrial partners. It also reinforces the strategic value of HPQ’s 36.8% equity interest in Novacium.”

— Bernard Tourillon, President & CEO of HPQ Silicon Inc., which itself, IS President of Novacium

Read the full announcement: Novacium and Tokai COBEX Collaborate to Evaluate an Integrated and Sovereign European Anode Material Solution for Lithium-Ion Batteries