TOKYO, JAPAN: Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co Ltd (MES) has obtained a worldwide non-exclusive sub-license for the manufacture, sale and use of lithium metal phosphate, including lithium iron phosphate (LMP/LFP).
MES has been in negotiation with three patent owners - Hydro-Quebec (Canada), University of Montreal (Canada) and French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS - France) who own the Goodenough patents on LMP/LFP material, the carbon coating patents, usable with LMP/LFP material and other materials and the carbon coating process patents. Sud-Chemie via its subsidiary Phostech Lithium Inc, was previously the exclusive licensed supplier of LMP/LFP.
Through the creation of its affiliate LiFePO4+C Licensing AG, Sud-Chemie has agreed with the three patent owners to facilitate the distribution of the technology. Consequently MES has now come to an agreement with LiFePO4+C Licensing AG.
As a result of this sub-license, customers can sell batteries using cathode materials manufactured by MES all over the world including US, Europe, Asia and Japan without infringing the Goodenough or carbon coating (process) patents.
MES will proceed with lithium cathode material business starting the construction of 2,000 tonne/year scale plant for the commercial production in the fiscal year of 2012 by obtaining this sub-license.
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