Anovion Battery Materials announced in a news release that it had been selected to receive a $117 million grant under Joe Biden’s Infrastructure Law. This is the first set of projects funded by the controversial law to expand domestic manufacturing of batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) and the electrical grid and for materials and components currently imported from other countries. This new plant is reported to be sited in Colbert County and will supplement the company’s existing facility in Niagara Falls, New York.
“We are thrilled to have been recognized as a nominee for the Infrastructure Grant opportunity. This grant consideration will enable Anovion to expedite its ongoing investments in expansion to advance the company’s mission of growing a resilient, secure, and sustainable North American lithium-ion battery supply chain,” said Anovion Chief Executive Officer Eric Stopka. “This nomination affirms Anovion’s commitment to creating a meaningful, positive impact on the environment, communities where we currently and plan to operate, people we employ, and the broader clean-energy economy. Anovion’s existing qualified commercial products, process technologies, focus on R&D, and experienced team uniquely position this project for success.”
Styopka said that the company looked at 47 sites; but chose Colbert County because of the work in support of the project by the Shoals Economic Development Authority, the Alabama Department of Commerce, and Alabama’s congressional delegation, including Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-AL04).
The company has already begun land acquisition.
Anovion will use the grant to build a new, large-scale manufacturing facility producing 35,000 tons per year of synthetic graphite anode materials for lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles (EV), energy storage systems, personal e-mobility, medical devices, military, and aerospace, as well as other industrial applications.
This U.S.-owned and operated, state-of-the-art manufacturing plant will be the first of its scale in North America, creating hundreds of high-quality clean energy jobs in communities previously impacted by offshoring over the years. Anovion’s existing Niagara Falls plant is the only qualified U.S. source of battery-grade synthetic graphite anode material commercially shipping products today.
The company said that the country’s ability to produce synthetic graphite battery anode materials is essential to competitiveness across many industries as batteries are critical to the ongoing transition to the new energy economy, enabling decarbonization, lower energy costs, and resilient power grids. The automotive industry has rapidly increased its investments and commitment to electric powertrains, causing domestic demand for synthetic graphite battery anode materials to skyrocket. Establishing a domestic lithium-ion battery supply chain directly impacts several strategic imperatives, including national security interests, a robust economic growth, and environmental stewardship.
“Our sincere thanks to customers, partners, community, stakeholders, suppliers, and employees that came together to make this exciting moment in Anovion’s history a possibility, and we look forward to sharing continued progress as we work to grow a resilient, secure, and sustainable North American battery supply chain,” said Stopka. “This grant represents an enormous vote of confidence in the critical work our team is dedicated to advancing every day.”
The Monomyth Group, a diversified holding company that provides long-term, partner capital to help companies reach potential, is a majority investor in Anovion. Amsted Industries, an employee-owned diversified global manufacturer of industrial components for the rail, automotive, commercial vehicle, and construction markets, is the minority investor.
A summit was held last week in Birmingham on electric vehicle technology.
Governor Kay Ivey headlined the EV summit, and other elected officials attended the event. Representatives from the major automotive manufacturers and suppliers and Alabama were also there.
“Over the course of the last thirty years or so, Alabama has gone from not being on the map in the automotive sector to being an industry giant,” Gov. Ivey stated. “Today, we are one of America’s top five producers and exporters of cars and light trucks. Like our college football, we’re proud of the standard of excellence we set with our automotive industry, but it’s no secret that this is an industry changing by the day. In the last several years, we’ve seen an entirely new market emerge for many automotive manufacturers, and it’s clear that EVs are on the rise and will continue to gain popularity among drivers.”
Anovion Battery Materials is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Anovion brings more than 140 years of experience in the production of synthetic graphite materials. Now a leader in synthetic graphite lithium-ion battery anode materials innovation and manufacturing, Anovion’s products were the first made in North America to qualify for EV applications. Commercial production commenced in early 2021, and Anovion continues to operate the largest manufacturing capacity available today. Product qualification testing continues with leading automotive electric vehicle OEMs, battery cell suppliers, and many others.
The company presently operates in Chicago, Niagara Falls, Clarksburg – West Virginia, and Charlotte – North Carolina.
Anovion plans to expand its capacity by up to 150,000 tons per annum of the finished product by 2030. President Biden has ordered the American auto industry to produce only EVs by 2030.
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