Orion S.A. Breaks Ground on Battery Materials Plant in Texas

Will produce acetylene-based conductive additives for lithium-ion batteries and other applications.

From left, Sandra Niemien, Orion managing director, SVP - Global Specialty EMEA; Kim Foley, LyondellBasell EVP of global olefins and polyolefins, refining and supply chain; Corby Alexander, La Porte city manager; and Orion CEO Corning Painter. (Source: Orion S.A.)

Orion S.A. broke ground on a plant in Texas that will be the only facility in the US producing acetylene-based conductive additives for lithium-ion batteries and other applications vital for the global shift to electrification.
 
The site in the city of La Porte, southeast of Houston, will create many high-skilled jobs – both in construction and technical fields – and bring innovative technology to the American economy. The battery additives produced by Orion’s plant will be clean, with only one-tenth of the carbon footprint of other commonly used materials. 

“Orion is already the sole producer of acetylene-based conductive additives in Europe,” Orion CEO Corning Painter said at the groundbreaking ceremony. “Our plant in La Porte will be a pivotal step toward strengthening the regional supply of conductive additives in the rapidly growing US battery market.” 

Every battery requires conductive additives. They enable a more efficient flow of electricity and extend the lifetime of lithium-ion batteries – the most valuable components of electric vehicles. The material also plays an essential role in high-voltage cables used for wind and solar farms. 

The additives produced at the La Porte plant will be made from acetylene, a colorless gas that Orion’s production process turns into powder with exceptional purity demanded by leading battery manufacturers. The acetylene will be supplied by a neighboring site owned by Equistar Chemicals LP, a subsidiary of LyondellBasell.

With the LaPorte project, key equipment procurement and off-site fabrication are already at an advanced stage. Field construction activities are ramping up, with the facility start-up expected in the second quarter of 2025.