SES AI releases inaugural sustainability report

SES AI Corp., a manufacturer of lithium-metal batteries based in Woburn, Massachusetts, has released its inaugural sustainability report, “SES AI Cares,” outlining its four fundamental sustainability commitments.

According to the company, the report presents a “unique approach to sustainability,” representing its commitment to fully incorporating sustainable processes and metrics across the entirety of its business, from research and development through supply chain and manufacturing processes worldwide.

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“Our commitment to creating a better world means making our strategy and our sustainability efforts a single, deeply integrated whole,” SES AI CEO Qichao Hu says. “Our mission is not only battery making but also driving the global transformation towards sustainable electric transportation on land and in the air.”

SES AI’s four fundamental sustainability commitments start with research and development. The company says it combines human expertise and the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to achieve continuous breakthroughs in battery development. Under this umbrella are:

• Avatar, or AI for safety. SES AI says it is working toward a goal of a near 100 percent safety guarantee in the field by building and training deep learning models with cell design data, manufacturing quality data and vehicle testing data.
• Apollo, or human engineering. The company says it is developing cell design, engineering and manufacturing processes for both internal and customer requirements in electric vehicles (EVs) and urban air mobility (UAM).
• Prometheus, or AI for science. The company says it is mapping the vast universe of small organic molecules, building and training new AI models and identifying suitable molecules for next generation lithium-metal electrolyte materials.
• Hermes, or human research and development. SES AI says it is formulating and testing electrolytes based on novel molecules recommended by both human scientists and AI using high-throughput capability.

The company’s second fundamental is a traceable and sustainable value chain. Earlier this year, it launched a new research program in collaboration with Worcester Polytechnic Institute to develop a new recycling technology tailored specifically for lithium-metal batteries.

Additionally, the company’s supplier code of conduct incorporates sustainability-related considerations into partnerships, contracts and expectations with vendors of critical materials.

SES AI’s third sustainability fundamental includes “a new era of sustainable mobility.” The company claims it was the first in the world to enter into lithium-metal A-sample joint venture agreements with three major automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)—Honda, General Motors and Hyundai.

The company also claims it is the world’s first battery company to have two automotive B-sample joint venture agreements with major automotive manufacturers. The company says it currently is converting an A-sample line into a dedicated lithium-metal battery line tailored specifically for UAM applications.

Its fourth fundamental is empowering people, according to the report. The company says it is committed to acting in accordance with best practices in the areas of compensation and benefits, safety in the workplace, labor rights, nondiscrimination, diversity and inclusion and training.

The full sustainability report can be found here.