Sasol Chemicals, a business unit of Sasol Ltd. and LOTTE Chemical, Korea's leading chemical company, have agreed to conduct a pre-feasibility study of a joint project to build, own and operate a plant to produce battery-grade electrolyte solvents.

The companies will assess the suitability of Sasol’s locations near Lake Charles in the United States and Marl in Germany for a facility that could produce a variety of battery-grade electrolyte solvents, using feedstock provided by Sasol and third parties and employing proprietary technologies of both LOTTE and third-party licensors.

The increase in battery demand is driving the rapid growth of demand for the key materials that constitute a lithium-ion battery. LOTTE Chemical will lead the global battery materials market quantitatively and qualitatively by rapidly expanding our battery materials business.

—Young-Jun Lee, Head of the Battery Materials Business Group for LOTTE Chemical