FREYR Battery (NYSE: FREY) (“FREYR”), a developer of clean, next-generation battery cell production capacity and Glencore International AG (“Glencore”), one of the world’s largest global diversified natural resource companies, have signed a contract for the supply of up to 1,500 metric tons of high grade, sustainably sourced cobalt metal cut cathodes made from partially recycled cobalt produced at Glencore’s Nikkelverk facility in Norway.
“We are very pleased to progress and expand our relationship with Glencore, a global leader in the supply and recycling of battery raw materials and in the production of cobalt,” said Tom Einar Jensen, the CEO of FREYR. “The agreement aims to supply our production facilities with recycled, sustainably sourced, and traceable cobalt, which will be refined at Glencore’s Norwegian operations as part of a growing local sustainable battery value chain. The next natural step is to jointly seek to 100% decarbonise the supply of cobalt and other battery materials to support our sustainable production of clean, low-cost and low-carbon battery cells.”
Jyothish George, Head of Metals Marketing, Zinc and Copper at Glencore, commented, “Glencore supports FREYR’s goal of producing batteries with the world’s lowest lifecycle carbon footprint and contributing to our ambition of net-zero total emissions by 2050. Both companies share a strong conviction that we need to develop a sustainable battery value chain from the mining of raw materials to recycling of used batteries that ensures fair value creation for all stakeholders while minimising emissions and waste generation.”
The supply contract follows the Letter of Intent between FREYR and Glencore announced on February 9, 2021. Cobalt is a core component in FREYR’s lithium-ion battery cells, which will be produced at the company’s facilities under development in Mo i Rana, Norway. FREYR and Glencore will collaborate closely to minimise their carbon footprint and define actions and milestones to meet the common ambition of 100% carbon neutral material, including the potential use of carbon offsets schemes. The companies will also collaborate to develop a scheme to introduce recycling certificates to document the delivery of recycled material as well as on the collection and processing of battery scrap generated during the production of battery material and cells.
The agreement also covers exploring potential collaboration structures between Glencore and FREYR in Norway and around the world. This expanded collaboration targets the supply of nickel to FREYR and the supply of recycling scrap from NCM cells produced by FREYR in line with the timeline for FREYR’s planned production of battery cells in Mo i Rana, Norway. FREYR and Glencore will also explore potential collaboration for battery material and battery scrap recycling and work together to assure responsible sourcing and recycling through third-party audits.
FREYR is committed to developing responsible and sustainable supply chains for battery materials. The FREYR Supplier Code of Conduct sets the company’s sustainability expectations to its suppliers.
About FREYR Battery
FREYR plans to develop up to 43 GWh of battery cell production capacity by 2025 with an ambition of up to 83 GWh in total capacity by 2028 to position the company as one of Europe’s largest battery cell suppliers. Five of the facilities are planned to be in the Mo i Rana industrial complex in Northern Norway, leveraging Norway’s highly skilled workforce and abundant, low-cost renewable energy sources from hydro and wind in a crisp, clear, and energized environment. FREYR aims to supply safe, high-energy density and cost competitive clean battery cells to the rapidly growing global markets for electric vehicles, energy storage, and marine applications. FREYR is committed to supporting cluster-based R&D initiatives and the development of an international ecosystem of scientific, commercial, and financial stakeholders to support the expansion of the battery value chain in our region. For more information, please visit www.freyrbattery.com
About Glencore International AG
Glencore is one of the world’s largest global diversified natural resource companies and a major producer and marketer of more than 60 responsibly sourced commodities that advance everyday life. The Group's operations comprise around 150 mining and metallurgical sites and oil production assets.
With a strong footprint in over 35 countries in both established and emerging regions for natural resources, Glencore's industrial activities are supported by a global network of more than 30 marketing offices. Glencore's customers are industrial consumers, such as those in the automotive, steel, power generation, battery manufacturing and oil sectors. We also provide financing, logistics and other services to producers and consumers of commodities. Glencore's companies employ around 135,000 people, including contractors. Glencore is proud to be a member of the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights and the International Council on Mining and Metals. We are an active participant in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. Our ambition is to be a net zero total emissions company by 2050.
Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
All statements, other than statements of present or historical fact included in this press release, including, without limitation, statements regarding FREYR's ability to supply its production facilities with recycled, sustainably sourced and traceable cobalt, develop a local sustainable battery value chain, decarbonize the supply of battery materials, produce batteries with the world's lowest lifecycle carbon footprint, achieve net-zero total emissions by 2050 and 100% carbon neutral material, minimise its carbon footprint, explore potential collaborations with Glencore for battery material and battery scrap recycling (including assuring responsible sourcing and recycling through third-party audits) and introduce carbon offset and recycling schemes are forward-looking and involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the expected results.
Most of these factors are outside FREYR’s control and difficult to predict. Information about factors that could materially affect FREYR is set forth under the “Risk Factors” section in FREYR’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on August 9, 2021, as amended, and in other SEC filings available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
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