Entek to build separator factory in Indiana
The US battery separator manufacturer Entek is investing 1.5 billion dollars in a new production facility in Terre Haute in the state of Indiana. The plant is scheduled to start operations between 2025 and 2027 and will supply separators for up to 1.6 million electric cars annually.
Entek plans to invest 1.5 billion dollars (currently 1.38 billion euros) in the construction of the new factory. It will be built on an area of about 1.4 square kilometres in the municipality of Terre Haute. Initially, the company plans to construct four buildings with an area of about 130,000 square metres. The facilities, for the production of battery separators for lithium-ion battery manufacturers in the US, will be built at Entek’s current manufacturing facilities in Oregon and Nevada.
“Indiana is one of the most manufacturing intensive states in the country. I am thrilled to welcome ENTEK to Terre Haute and to the Hoosier state. As the only American company to own and produce ‘wet-process’ lithium-ion battery separator materials, ENTEK is going to help to pave the way for electric vehicle production in Indiana and reduce American manufacturers’ reliance on imported products. Their operation in Terre Haute will create hundreds of new jobs and continue to grow the already sizable automobile industry in Indiana,” said Congressman Larry Bucshon.
The construction of the factory is subsidised by the US Department of Energy to the tune of 200 million dollars (184 million euros). And it is probably only the beginning of the planned expansion of production in the USA. In the next step, the manufacturer plans to increase production to the point where separators can be supplied for the batteries of about 3.5 million e-vehicles per year.
0 Comments