US battery firm restarts German silane plant

Group14, a US developer of silicon anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, is preparing to reopen a mothballed silane plant in Spreetal, Germany, that it acquired from Schmid Silicon. The silane produced at the factory will be used as a precursor for Group14’s silicon anode materials and could be used in other applications, including solar panels, the company says. The automaker Porsche led Group14’s $400 million series C fundraising in May 2022. Group14 is building a plant for its anode material in the US and has a joint venture with SK Materials to construct a second plant in South Korea.