Altech Batteries Ltd (ASX:ATC, OTC:ALTHF, FRA:A3Y) has reported a standout technical milestone in its December 2025 quarterly update, with its silicon-enhanced Silumina Anodes™ achieving 88.5% capacity retention after 500 charge–discharge cycles, alongside progress on funding, governance changes and a broader strategic reset.
The technical achievement underpins Altech’s push to commercialise its two core battery platforms — Silumina Anodes™ and the CERENERGY® sodium solid-state battery — both of which are being advanced in Germany. The company is operating a pilot facility in Saxony to support scale-up, qualification and partner engagement ahead of full commercial development.
Breakthrough silicon anode performance
The company said a 5% addition of its proprietary alumina-coated spherical silicon to a conventional graphite anode delivered the strongest cycling performance recorded to date, with repeat testing confirming retention above 88%, demonstrating process stability and reproducibility.
Silicon can store up to 10 times more lithium than graphite, offering a pathway to higher energy density, but its commercial use has historically been constrained by swelling and rapid degradation. Altech said its alumina coating and spherical particle design effectively mitigated these issues, preserving electrode integrity through extended cycling.
Cells incorporating Silumina Anodes™ recorded an initial capacity of 500 mAh/g, more than 40% higher than commercial graphite anodes, and retained around 420 mAh/g after 500 cycles — still exceeding the capacity of many graphite-only cells at the start of life.
Managing director Daniel Raihani said the results marked a meaningful step towards commercialisation.
“Achieving 88.5% retention at 500 cycles with a 5% silicon addition confirms the stability of our Silumina Anodes™ process,” Raihani said. “Our team in Saxony continues to deliver highly consistent results, validating both the technology and our scaling approach.”
Saxony pilot plant confirms scale-up readiness
Altech said its pilot plant in Saxony, Germany — located adjacent to the proposed commercial site — is producing consistent, high-quality alumina-coated silicon material, with results aligned to earlier Perth laboratory testing.
Multiple silicon feedstock sources are being trialled to optimise cost, purity and supply-chain resilience as the company advances qualification and commercial discussions.
$6m placement strengthens balance sheet
During the quarter, Altech completed a $6 million placement at $0.045 per share, issuing 133.3 million new shares with free-attaching options. The placement was jointly managed by Evolution Capital and Alpine Capital.
Funds are being used to progress both of Altech’s core battery platforms, including advancing project finance discussions for its CERENERGY® sodium solid-state battery project, completing a 90-kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery prototype, and assessing a potential 4-gigawatt-hour (GWh) giga-factory for large-scale production.
Board renewal and strategic refocus
The quarter also marked a significant transition at board and management level, with a new board appointed in late November and early December following shareholder action. The refreshed board has initiated a comprehensive strategic reset, narrowing Altech’s focus to commercialising its two core technologies — Silumina Anodes™ and CERENERGY® — through partnerships, disciplined capital allocation and portfolio rationalisation.
As part of this reset, Altech discontinued its AMPower sodium-nickel-chloride battery distribution arrangement, citing insufficient returns relative to capital and management demands.
Raihani said the company is now prioritising strategic partners capable of supporting industrial-scale deployment.
“These projects require disciplined execution, robust partnerships, and a level of financial and technical resourcing that cannot be delivered through incremental steps or half-measures,” he said. “Our focus is on moving decisively toward commercial outcomes and communicating progress clearly as we do.”