HOUSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–A wholly-owned subsidiary of Microvast Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: MVST) was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in collaboration with General Motors to receive a $200 million grant as part of the first set of projects funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Over 200 companies applied for $2.8 billion in DOE grant funding and 20 companies were awarded grants.
“It is an honor to be recognized by the DOE and collaborate with General Motors on this important effort to strengthen and accelerate domestic battery supply chain and manufacturing initiatives in North America. This grant will enable Microvast to accelerate its plans to onshore critical battery component manufacturing processes, including mass production of our patented polyaramid separator technology,” said Dr. Wenjuan Mattis, Chief Technology Officer at Microvast. “We expect the safety advantages of our innovative, highly thermally stable polyaramid separators to transform high-energy lithium-ion battery development and drive significant value for the industry,” she continued.
“As a U.S. company with existing operations in Tennessee, Florida, Colorado and Texas, we are excited to enhance Microvast’s vertical integration strategy by expanding our domestic footprint and production capabilities to include battery components,” said Shane Smith, Microvast’s Chief Operating Officer. “We expect to source raw materials and equipment from the U.S. or our allies and create hundreds of attractive jobs in our local communities,” he continued.
The $200 million DOE grant, together with a more than $300 million investment from the companies, is expected to support the construction of a new separator manufacturing facility in the U.S. Microvast expects the new separator facility to supply battery components to its existing battery cell manufacturing facility in Clarksville, Tennessee, as well as other customers across the commercial, specialty and passenger electric vehicle (EV) markets, energy storage systems (ESS) and other applications.
A separator is a thin, insulating film between a cathode and an anode, preventing thermal runaway while still allowing for ion transfer. The separator is an essential component in lithium-ion batteries, playing a critical role in battery safety, abuse tolerance and performance. Polyaramid is a high-temperature resistant, fire-retardant aromatic polyamide, which is commonly used in firefighting garments and insulating papers. Microvast holds unique, patented wet-process technology to produce a thin polyaramid base film. Unlike the current widely used polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) based separators in lithium-ion batteries, which melt at approximately 135°C and 165°C, respectively, Microvast’s patented polyaramid separator is capable of resisting temperatures in excess of 300°C. This high temperature resistance, combined with high porosity, excellent wettability and electrolyte retention, improves the overall safety, fast charging, and cycle-life of lithium-ion batteries in EVs as well as other applications.
Microvast is collaborating with General Motors to develop new separator technology that can help improve EV safety, charging and battery life using intellectual property contributions from both companies, including a coating technology developed in GM’s Research & Development labs in Warren, Michigan.
“This collaboration with Microvast supports GM’s ongoing efforts to develop a North American-focused EV supply chain and help put everyone in an EV,” says Kent Helfrich, Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Research & Development at General Motors. “It will also provide us with pioneering separator technology that can be used in our future Ultium batteries, and most importantly, supports our continuing commitment to safety.”
“This is truly a remarkable time for manufacturing in America, as President…
Read More: Microvast and General Motors Selected by the U.S. Department of Energy for a $200 Million Grant