Epsilon Advanced Materials Inc. has entered into an agreement with Phillips 66 to supply green and calcined needle coke from the energy company's Lake Charles, Louisiana refinery. The partnership aims to strengthen the domestic supply chain for electric vehicle and energy storage system batteries.
The collaboration provides Epsilon Advanced Materials with reliable access to specialty coke materials essential for manufacturing synthetic graphite anodes, a critical component in lithium-ion batteries. Phillips 66 ranks among the world's leading producers of these specialty coke materials.
The feedstock will support Epsilon's upcoming graphite active anode material facility in North Carolina, which is designed to produce 30,000 tons annually. The company has completed all necessary permitting requirements and expects to begin operations in 2027, with plans to expand capacity to 60,000 tons by 2030.
"This collaboration is a major step in building a secure and sustainable battery materials supply chain for the US," said Vikram Handa, Managing Director of Epsilon Advanced Materials. He emphasized that the partnership combines Phillips 66's expertise in energy and materials with EAM's manufacturing capacity and global presence.
Once fully operational, the North Carolina facility will supply enough graphite active anode material to support approximately one million electric vehicles annually, serving U.S. battery manufacturers and automotive original equipment manufacturers.
The agreement represents a strategic move to establish a competitive domestic supply chain for clean energy technologies. The partnership leverages Phillips 66's operational expertise alongside Epsilon's expansion plans across multiple regions.
Epsilon Advanced Materials, established in 2018 as part of the Epsilon Group, specializes in sustainable battery materials and operates India's first graphite anode material plant. The company has made strategic investments in North Carolina and Finland as part of its global expansion efforts.
The broader Epsilon Group, founded in 2010, operates as an industrial conglomerate focused on carbon black and battery materials. Through its subsidiaries, including Epsilon Carbon and Epsilon Advanced Materials, the group maintains facilities with significant production capacity in India and is expanding internationally to support the growing demand for clean energy technologies.