Coreshell Technologies receives $50 million award to build first U.S. gigafactory for metallurgical silicon anodes
Coreshell Technologies has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy's Manufacturing Deployment Office for a $50 million award under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The award will fund the expansion of manufacturing facilities to establish the first U.S. gigafactory dedicated to producing lithium-ion batteries with anodes made entirely from metallurgical silicon, which replaces graphite. This innovation aims to reduce U.S. reliance on Chinese graphite, which currently accounts for over 93% of the global supply. By partnering with AM Batteries, Coreshell Technologies will build approximately 2 gigawatt-hours of electrode manufacturing capacity and 1.5 gigawatt-hours of cell assembly capacity. The project is expected to create more than 100 domestic jobs. The administration announced that these batteries will be the first scalable cells in the U.S. to fully eliminate supply chain vulnerabilities from China. While the administration expressed some disdain for electric vehicles, it acknowledges that batteries are essential for modern life and national security. These domestically produced batteries will support both the automotive industry and specialized applications for the U.S. military.