Battery maker Lyten to expand in Poland

March 20 (Reuters) - Battery maker Lyten said on Friday it planned to expand operations in Poland, creating an industrial hub there, as it continues to integrate assets it bought off bankrupt Northvolt.

Lyten, a Silicon Valley-based developer of lithium-sulfur batteries, revived hopes for European battery independence last year when it took over most of lithium-ion battery maker Northvolt's assets—once seen as the region's best chance at challenging major Chinese electric-vehicle battery makers.

It expects to soon start up lithium-ion battery production in Northvolt's old factory in Northern Sweden, while looking into potentially developing lithium-sulfur battery cells in Poland.

• The Polish hub will mirror Lyten's Swedish model and make the country a base for energy storage, autonomous systems and defence technologies

• The hub will be built around the existing Lyten Dwa battery energy storage production plant and R&D centre in Gdansk

• Lyten plans a feasibility study by end-2026 to evaluate producing some other products in Poland, such as its experimental lithium-sulfur cells

• Lithium-sulfur cells, still in their infancy, are one of several next-gen battery chemistries that promise a lighter, lower-cost alternative and lower dependence on critical minerals from China

• It will also evaluate high‑strength 3D‑printing materials and low‑carbon concrete admixtures in Poland

• Production in Sweden to be focused on lithium-ion batteries