Graphite Giant Tests Novacium’s Silicon For A Sovereign European Battery Anode

<p></p><p><strong>Graphite has powered lithium-ion battery anodes for decades, but its capacity has limits. Silicon can theoretically store more than ten times as much lithium, yet its expansion during charging has made commercial use difficult. HPQ Silicon’s strategic partner Novacium has spent years addressing that challenge. Now, its silicon-based technology is being evaluated with material from an established graphite producer.</strong></p><p>On September 10, 2026, Novacium announced exploratory technical work with Tokai COBEX Savoie, part of Japan’s Tokai Carbon Group. The companies will evaluate combining Novacium’s high-capacity silicon-based material with Tokai COBEX’s 99.99% purity, low-carbon synthetic graphite.</p><p>If successful, the work could support a high-performance, lower-carbon anode material designed and potentially produced in France. HPQ holds a 36.8% equity interest in Novacium.</p><p>• <strong>Industrial Partner:</strong> Tokai COBEX brings established carbon and graphite manufacturing experience, with French operations that have expanded into battery graphite.</p><p>• <strong>European Supply Chain:</strong> The companies are evaluating a combination of French-produced synthetic graphite and Novacium silicon technology that could contribute to a more integrated European battery supply chain.</p><p>• <strong>Proven Performance:</strong> GEN3 enabled 18650 cells to average 4,030 mAh and retain more than 3,000 mAh after 1,000 cycles. GEN4 later enabled 21700 cells to average more than 6,600 mAh under standard testing.</p><p>• <strong>Commercial Progress:</strong> Novacium has received an order for GEN3 battery packs intended for FPV drones destined for a French Army regiment and delivered 30 custom packs to three European drone manufacturers for final-stage evaluation.</p><p>Graphite has a theoretical capacity of about 372 mAh/g versus approximately 4,200 mAh/g for silicon. The problem is that silicon can expand by more than 300% during charging, potentially damaging the anode and reducing battery life.</p><p>Novacium’s approach is designed to add silicon-based material to predominantly graphite-based anodes, increasing capacity while addressing durability.</p><p>The Tokai COBEX program will now evaluate compatibility, performance and economics using its specific synthetic graphite.</p><p>Novacium has progressed from developing silicon-based anode materials into cells and custom battery packs, producing measurable performance results, certifications, customer evaluations and an initial defence-related order.</p><p>Tokai COBEX introduces a different potential pathway: working with an established graphite producer rather than entering graphite production independently.</p><p>CEO Bernard Tourillon said licensing and joint ventures could eventually represent possible business models, although <strong>no commercial agreement with Tokai COBEX has been announced</strong>.</p><p>“As graphite-based anode materials approach their theoretical capacity limits, integrating silicon-based materials represents one of the most promising avenues for enabling graphite manufacturers to offer higher-performance anode materials.”</p><p>This is <strong>not yet a commercial contract</strong>. It is an exploratory technical program, with no assurance it will result in production or commercialization.</p><p>What matters is who is evaluating the technology and why.</p><p>An established graphite producer is testing whether its synthetic graphite can be combined with Novacium’s silicon-based material to create a higher-capacity, lower-carbon anode solution.</p><p>For HPQ, this adds another potential commercialization pathway alongside ENDURA+ cells, custom battery packs and silicon-based anode materials.</p><p>The next question is straightforward: <strong>Can the technical compatibility and economics justify moving from evaluation to a formal commercial relationship?</strong></p><p>WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOWWHY GRAPHITE NEEDS SILICONANOTH