On the 26th of October, Epsilon Advanced Materials (EAM) announced its plan to invest in an anode manufacturing facility in Brunswick County, North Carolina. The investment of USD650 million will be the first of its kind for an Indian company entering the US battery industry. The facility is set to generate approximately 500 new jobs for the area. The decision was welcomed by the North Carolina Governor, Roy Cooper.

An Anode Facility

Once fully operational, the EAM facility will produce 50,000 tonnes per annum (TPA) of graphite anode, manufacturing both natural and synthetic graphite anodes. The company plans to break ground in 2024 and begin manufacturing in 2026, eventually reaching full capacity by 2031. EAM’s wholly owned subsidiary is already in discussions with local raw material suppliers and transport partners for its North Carolina operations.

A Strategic Location

The location of Brunswick County, North Carolina, offers strategic advantages. This includes proximity to the port of Wilmington, automotive suppliers, Southeastern vehicle manufacturing facilities and a local community college. This will allow the logistics of the operation to run smoothly and provide it with a skilled workforce.

Further Global Expansion for EAM

This announcement follows on from EAMs investment of USD1.1 billion, to establish a 100,000 TPA anode battery materials manufacturing facility in Bellary, Karnataka, India. Additionally, EAM partnered with Finnish Minerals Group to establish a graphite anode plant in Finland with a production capacity of 50,000 TPA. Similarly, at the start of October, EAM acquired Johnson Matthey’s lithium-ion phosphate (LFP) cathode technology centre in Germany.

Rho’s Evaluation

This move is another step in EAM’s global expansion strategy. This facility will…

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Image credit: Adobe Stock

Sources: EAM