(Yicai) Nov. 25 -- Shares of Orient Zirconic Ind Sci & Tech advanced after the leading Chinese supplier of zirconium compound said it plans to invest CNY737 million (USD102.4 million) to build a high-end battery materials factory.

Orient Zirconic [SHE: 002167] closed 4 percent up at CNY12.32 (USD1.74) in Shenzhen today.

The plant, located in the Qinyang Economic and Technological Development Zone in Henan province, will have an annual production capacity of 60,000 tons of battery-grade zirconium hydroxide and 12,000 tons of high-purity zirconia and hafnia, the Guangdong province-based company announced yesterday.​

The project will be developed in two phases, Orient Zirconic said. The first one, with an annual output of 35,000 tons of high-purity zirconium hydroxide, will begin construction in January. The second one will complete the project, expected to commence works based on actual market demand.

The new plant will accelerate Orient Zirconic’s layout in downstream emerging sectors, expand its high-tech and high-value-added businesses, and strengthen its core competitiveness and profitability, which are key drivers for long-term growth in the battery materials market, the firm noted.

Zirconium hydroxide, a key intermediate for producing zirconia, has broad applications in new energy batteries. It serves as a critical raw material for solid-state battery electrolytes and electrode coatings, ensuring ionic conductivity and structural stability.

Adding zirconia or hafnia powder to lithium battery cathodes enhances the performance of ternary lithium batteries. Hafnia is also used as an additive in solid-state battery electrolytes.​

Editor: Futura Costaglione