Confident Altech moving straight to DFS on European EV battery anode plant

Altech (ASX:ATC) is fast-tracking its battery anode plant in Germany’s Saxony by launching a definitive feasibility study (DFS) right on the back of a PFS that first underscored commercial potential at the facility. 

In June, Altech executed a construction contract for the pilot plant with Küttner GmbH & Co. KG (Küttner).

Küttner is an industrial engineering and EPC contractor with a track-record in metallurgical plant, water and off-gas treatment projects in Germany.

Construction starts later this year and will be established in a warehouse nextdoor to pre-existing land held by Altech (via its subsidiary AIG) in the Schwarze Pumpe industrial area. 

Feedstock supply for the plant will come from Europe’s SGL Carbon and Ferroglobe Innovation. Existing ESG credentials have been awarded to it by the Norwegian Centre of International Climate and Environment Research. 

The silumina anode products made in Saxony will be tested by German EV battery tech experts Fraunhofer IKTS. When that partnership was announced in July, company shares jumped 7%. 

IKTS is a leading materials and research expert when it comes to lithium-ion batteries, and also has a laboratory near-by. 

How is Altech doing? 

Altech was shaken off a high branch by market volatility through the first half of 2022, but it appears the company is regaining steam. 

A surface look at financials shows us the following:

• While year to date (YTD) performance is down -50.8%, the company has jumped 28.3% over the last month and currently outperforms the ASX200 on a one year basis by 8.9%.

• T20 investors hold 51.3% of the company’s 1.4bn shares. As of Monday afternoon (today,) Altech boasts a market cap of $84.1m.

• At the end of the June quarter, Altech held $10m in cash heading into the second half of a busy 2022.

Altech's six month charts show the company's rough treatment in June—and they also show the start of what could be an upward reversal for the company's shares.

Disclaimer: Market Index helps small-cap ASX listed companies connect with Australian investors through clear and concise articles on key developments. Altech was a client at the time of publishing. All coverage contains factual information only and should not be interpreted as an opinion or financial advice.