Gränges breaks ground on Arkansas expansion

Gränges, an aluminum producer based in Sweden, has broken ground on a plant expansion in Newport, Arkansas, it says will allow it to become the first domestic producer of battery cathode foil.

Gränges announced this May it intended to invest at the Newport site to install finishing and clean room equipment that will allow commercial deliveries of foil used in the electric vehicle (EV) sector to begin in 2024.

“We continue to invest in the foil industry, benefiting our customers, employees and the communities in which we operate”, Gränges Americas President Patrick Lawlor said in April. “Gränges is excited to lead the way in battery foil development, partnering with the state of Arkansas to invest in this exciting new high."

The metals producer says it is targeting the battery cathode foil segment by “drawing on the group’s global production footprint and capabilities, sustainable solutions and strong aluminum alloy and process know-how.”

The firm says through this investment, Gränges will support the EV transition in all regions, complementing the battery foil investments already underway in Gränges’ productions facilities in Europe and Asia.

“With this investment, we will be the first domestic producer of battery foil," Lawlor said in May. "We see a very strong interest from leading global battery manufacturers in domestic supply within the battery value chain. We look forward to partnering with them as well as with leading automotive OEMs in developing this market in the U.S.”

A news release issued by the Arkansas Economic Development Commission indicates ground was broken on the project Dec. 19. The agency says the expansion is a result of increased demand for battery cathode foil in electric vehicles and markets moving toward battery-driven electrification.

Gränges purchased assets of the former Noranda Aluminum in 2016 and acquired the Newport facility then, along with plants in Tennessee and North Carolina.

The facility in Huntingdon, Tennessee, also is undergoing an expansion project that announced in 2021. An update issued by Gränges this April indicates $52 million is being invested to expand recycling and casting operations in Huntingdon.

Gränges says aluminum scrap comprised 28.5 percent of its feedstock in 2021, signifying an increase from the 22.5 percent rate the previous year.