Short dive:
- Battery separator maker Microporous plans to build a $1.4 billion plant in Danville, Virginia, according to Press release of November 13th.
- The plant will produce lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, energy storage systems and consumer electronics in the North American market, said Brad Reed, vice president of business development, in an email to Manufacturing Dive. The upcoming facility will create 2,015 jobs and production is expected to begin in 2026.
- The company will develop the project in two phases, each of which will include approximately 500,000 square feet, with the potential to expand to more than 2 million square feet, Reed said. Construction is expected to begin in 2025.
Diving information:
The next project is expected to receive a grant of up to $100 million through the Department of Energy, the agency announced in December 2023 under the company name MP Assets Corp.
The grant will help the company expand its wet-process polyethylene lead-acid battery separation technology to improve production for the electric vehicle supply chain.
“The lithium-ion battery separator market is strategically important to Microporous as it represents the fastest growing segment in the rechargeable battery industry,” Reed said.
The grant is expected to create 282 jobs with a guarantee that 85% of full-time employees will be from disadvantaged local communities, according to Microporous’ December 2023 press release.
In addition to federal funding, the project is eligible to receive up to $60.6 million from the state incentive of the Commission for the Approval of Major Investment and Employment Projects due to the company’s large investment and job numbers , according to the release.
According to the release, the battery separator maker will receive $25 million from the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission to bring major natural gas service to the project.
The upcoming facility will be located on Lot 1 of the Southern Virginia megasite, a complex strategically located near an industrial road with no weight restrictions, providing significant benefits to Microporous and its customers, Reed said.
“This is a significant addition to Virginia’s business community and investment in Pittsylvania County by what we hope will be a large user of the Port of Virginia,” the CEO and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority said in a statement , Stephen Edwards. “Microporous has a lot of work to do and the port is ready to help this company succeed, grow and move its products into markets around the world.”
Microporous has two other manufacturing facilities, one located near its headquarters in Piney Flats, Tennessee, and the other located in Fiestritz, Austria. according to the website.