Forge Battery, the commercial lithium-ion battery production subsidiary of Forge Nano, Inc., has announced it was selected for award negotiations of up to $100M in non-dilutive funding by the Department of Energy’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC) to expand its North Carolina lithium-ion battery gigafactory production capacity to 3 gigawatt hours per year (GWh/year).
The $100M Department of Energy funding would be combined with $140M from Forge Battery to increase the Morrisville, NC facility’s production in order to fulfil mounting customer demand for domestically produced battery cells. Forge Battery expects to produce commercial lithium-ion cells at 1 GWh/year starting in 2026 and expand the facility to 3 GWh/year.
“Domestic production of best-in-class lithium-ion battery cells is critical for the United States to compete on a global scale in the energy transition,” said Paul Lichty, CEO of Forge Nano, the parent company of Forge Battery. “The Department of Energy’s support will help Forge Battery achieve our mission to be a leading domestic supplier of high-performance cells to U.S. markets and will further position us to supply critical U.S. clean energy innovations. We’re incredibly grateful to the Department of Energy for supporting us in our next chapter of growth.”
Forge Battery’s Made-in-America cylindrical lithium-ion battery cells will be produced with a U.S-dominant supply chain, with 90 percent of cell contents being sourced within the United States. Forge Battery began shipping prototype A-Sample cells in bulk in July 2024 to current customers, who account for multiple GWh/year in confirmed off-take.
The Forge Battery “Gen 1.1. Supercell,” the company’s first commercial product, has a confirmed specific energy of 300 Wh/kg and will be undergoing cycle life testing for a variety of application-specific requirements for current and future customers. Forge Battery expects its A-Sample cells will meet industry standard lifetimes suitable for its intended target customer markets, which include electric trucks, off-highway vehicles, motorcycles and aerospace and Department of Defense (DoD) applications.
With the expansion to 3 GWh/year, Forge Battery expects to employ over 280 full-time employees, with over 550 temporary jobs created during construction and equipment installation.
Forge Battery has also built a community advisory board comprised of North Carolina partners to recruit and train qualified workers and enhance the overall community of Morrisville. Partners include the City of Morrisville, Wake Technical Community College, NC Central University, Dorcas Ministries, Boys & Girls Club, Step Up Ministries, The Carying Place, Triangle Community Foundation, City of Oaks Foundation and Raleigh Dream Center.
“Forge Battery is committed to fostering a community of trust both within our facility and to the broader public,” said Curtis Zimmermann, Chief Legal Officer at Forge Nano. “We are excited to continue our work with the outstanding Forge Battery community partners to help nurture employees, create a sustainable talent pool of future employees and use our collective resources to become a staple in the community at large where our employees and their families reside.”