Orion S. A announced broke ground on a plant in Texas that will be the only facility in the U.S. producing acetylene-based conductive additives for lithium-ion batteries and other applications vital for the global shift to electrification. The site in the city of La Porte, southeast of Houston, will create many high-skilled jobs ? both in construction and technical fields ?

and bring innovative technology to the American economy. The battery additives produced by Orion?s plant will be super clean, with only one-tenth of the carbon footprint of other commonly used materials. Every battery requires conductive additives.

They enable a more efficient flow of electricity and extend the lifetime of lithium-ion batteries ? the most valuable components of electric vehicles. The material also plays an essential role in high-voltage cables used for wind and solar farms. The additives produced at the La Porte plant will be made from acetylene, a colorless gas that Orion?s production process turns into powder with exceptional purity demanded by leading battery manufacturers.

The acetylene will be supplied by a neighboring site owned by Equistar Chemicals LP, a subsidiary of LyondellBasell. Orion?s plant in La Porte is similar to one the company has in the city of Berre-l'Étang in southern France. The facility also uses acetylene from LyondellBasell.