Interview with Martin Stein, CFO of Altech Batteries Ltd.

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/altech-batteries-asxatc-2-feasibility-studies-due-q4-batteries-and-anodes-4125

Recording date: 22nd May 2024

Altech Batteries (ASX:ATC) is an emerging player in the rapidly growing grid storage industry, offering investors an attractive opportunity to gain exposure to the global transition to renewable energy. The company is commercializing an innovative sodium-ion battery technology that provides compelling advantages in safety, sustainability, and cost compared to incumbent lithium-ion solutions.

Altech's batteries utilize abundant, non-flammable materials like sodium chloride (salt), avoiding the supply constraints and price volatility associated with scarce metals such as lithium, cobalt and graphite. The company's proprietary solid-state design enables fire- and explosion-proof operation across a wide temperature range, with expected lifespans exceeding 15 years. These attributes make Altech's batteries ideally suited for grid storage applications.

The market for grid-scale batteries is expanding at a rapid 28% compound annual growth rate, as intermittent renewable energy sources like wind and solar require storage capacity to align supply with demand. Altech is initially targeting utility providers in Germany that are at the forefront of the energy transition. The company aims to secure offtake agreements for 100% of production from its 120 MWh solid state sodium chloride battery production facility to produce 1MWh GridPacks for the European grid energy market, laying the groundwork to scale up to multi-gigawatt-hour capacity.

To fund the approximately €170-180 million required to construct this initial facility, Altech intends to pursue a mix of equity, green bonds, and government grants/subsidies. The company has already raised A$3.7 million from its existing shareholders to advance its commercialization plans, and is making steady progress towards a final investment decision. Construction is slated to begin in 2025, with first battery shipments expected in 2027.

While Altech is laser-focused on the utility-scale opportunity in Europe, management sees substantial potential to deploy its batteries across diverse applications and geographies longer-term. The company envisions replicating its modular production facilities in other markets like the U.S., and notes that wherever renewable energy is generated, batteries will be needed to store it. Altech has already received inbound interest from sectors ranging from agriculture to real estate.
Investors should weigh several key risks, including Altech's ability to secure binding offtake agreements and assemble the full financing package for its initial plant. Bringing new battery chemistries from concept to commercial scale is also a complex undertaking. However, management has substantially de-risked the technology and is making tangible progress on the critical milestones to reach first production.

By scaling up its novel sodium-ion battery production capacity ahead of the competition, Altech can drive down costs and entrench a strong market position as the inevitable shift to renewables-plus-storage accelerates. With an addressable market projected to reach well over 100 GWh annually by 2030 in Europe alone, Altech's upside potential is compelling for investors with a long-term horizon.

View Altech Batteries' company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/altech-batteries

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