White & Case Advises Orbia on Its Entry into a Joint Venture with Solvay to Supply Critical Materials to the Battery Market in North America

Global law firm White & Case LLP has advised Orbia on its entry into a joint venture framework agreement with Solvay for the production of suspension-grade polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), creating the largest capacity in North America and supplying critical materials to the battery market.

The total investment of the joint venture is estimated to be US$850 million, which will include the building of a new facility in Augusta, Georgia. Orbia and Solvay will use two production sites, one for raw materials and the other for the finished product, located in the southeastern United States. The sites are expected to be operational by 2026.

With more than half of US car sales projected to be electric by 2030, demand for lithium-ion batteries and PVDF is rapidly increasing. The Solvay-Orbia joint venture would fill a significant supply gap and will build upon favorable regulatory conditions promoting regional production and material security.

Orbia has a collective focus on expanding access to health and wellness; reinventing the future of cities and homes; ensuring food and water security; connecting communities to information; and accelerating a circular economy with basic and advanced materials, specialty products and innovative solutions. Orbia has a global team of more than 23,000 employees, commercial activities in more than 110 countries and operations in more than 50, with global headquarters in Boston, Mexico City, Amsterdam and Tel Aviv. The company generated US$8.8 billion in revenue in 2021.

The White & Case team was led by partner Christopher Richardson (Houston) and included partners Strati Sakellariou-Witt (Brussels), David Suggs (New York), Sean Goldstein (Miami) and Suzanne Perry (Washington, DC). The team also included associates Samer Mahjoub and Joshua VonTrapp (Houston), Gabriela Baca (Washington, DC) and Iakovos Sarmas (Brussels). 

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