In the early afternoon of Thursday, July 20, the chemical teams watched in concentration as the very first ink produced at Billy-Berclau was released. This milestone marks the culmination of six months' work, since the Mixing machines were first installed at the plant in January 2023.

This very first ink production run was conducted on the anode side (negative polarity).

The ink produced was then analyzed by the quality teams. Several criteria were reviewed. A new ink will be produced this week, to be coated on a strip at the coating stage.

"It's a great satisfaction for the teams, after six months of machine installation. We're proud to get a piece of equipment up and running in six months," sums up Renaud Gayraud-Vaissieres, Technical Manager for the Chemicals Sector. This installation, fine-tuning and adjustment stage involved up to fifty people.

Ink production, in stainless steel tanks installed in a controlled-atmosphere room, is the first stage of the cell manufacturing process. The "paste" created according to a secret recipe, on the anode and cathode sides, is coated on both sides with aluminum or copper foil, depending on polarity, at the coating stage.