Morrow Batteries and IFE Partner on Battery Technology Development

Morrow Batteries has entered a new partnership with the Norwegian Institute for Energy Technology (IFE).

As part of the new long-term agreement, the institutions will work on R&D projects focusing on battery technology.

Morrow Batteries and the Institute for Energy Technologies (IFE) confirmed they will collaborate on the improvement of existing commercial active materials as well as developing new technologies based on the high voltage cobalt-free cathode material LNMO.

A concept image of Morrow’s Giga factory. Image courtesy of Morrow Batteries

 

Morrow Batteries: a Company Overview

Founded in 2020 by Norwegian Finance and Sustainability expert Pål Brun, Morrow Batteries is a young firm, but its mission has been clear since its inception: “to develop and manufacture the world’s most cost-effective and sustainable battery cells.”

In less than two years of operations, Morrow has started and is currently undergoing the establishment of a 42 GWh Giga factory that will utilize 100% renewable hydroelectric power to create batteries with an extremely low CO2 footprint.

Thanks to a successful private placement of NOK 230 million (roughly US$26 million), the firm has confirmed the first phase of construction is currently underway, with the factory estimated to become operational from Q4 2024.

In addition, Morrow is currently building an industrialization center that will further the company’s vision to create sustainable batteries.

A concept image of Morrow’s industrialization center. Image used courtesy of Morrow Batteries

The MIC and Eyde Giga factory will be both located at Eyde Energy Park, a location favoured by major industrial adventures in Norway, with the Battery Innovation Center to be established in Grimstad.

With both facilities, the firm and its partners aim to create ‘the Battery coast’: a sustainable ecosystem built around the battery value chain.

Morrow Batteries is currently financed by Agder Energi Venture and NOAH.

 

New Battery Developments

Joining forces with IFE will now aid Morrow to move closer to its goal of accelerating the green energy transition.

“IFE has developed technologies, methods, and processes, as well as extensive knowledge related to battery materials and batteries, that are relevant to the development of Morrow's products," explained Morrow Batteries CTO Rahul Fotedar.

In fact, IFE is a large energy research institute in Norway, and the institution has spent the last decade exploring hydrogen, solar, wind and batteries applications.

“Now is a crucial point in time for taking the development even further within batteries. To ensure that Norway can succeed in the global battle it is to create values ​​and jobs from the knowledge we have,” said IFE’S CEO Nils Morten Huseby.

The partnership will now enable Morrow to have access to IFE's new Battery Development Laboratory located in Kjeller, Norway, with five Morrow employees already moved into the IFE office.

“In addition to a good research environment, IFE has the best infrastructure and facilities in Norway. With this agreement we have the opportunity to continue our research and development, while we build our own facilities”, Fotedar said.

The CTO also confirmed Morrow Batteries intends to continue the collaboration with IFE even after the construction of his facilities has been completed.

”We see the collaboration with IFE as a long-term strategic positioning that will remain important even after commissioning of our own facilities in Grimstad and Arenda,” Fotedar concluded.