Governor Edwards announced that two companies in Louisiana have been awarded $320 million in U.S. Department of Energy funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) to expand manufacturing of electric vehicle battery components.
“These massive investments will have transformational impacts in Vidalia and St. Gabriel and create hundreds of jobs,” said Governor Edwards. “This is another step forward in our important work to diversify and grow Louisiana’s economy, create good-paying jobs, and become leaders in the global energy transition as we move toward our goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. I would like to thank U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm for awarding Louisiana this funding, and I would also like to thank President Biden, Senator Bill Cassidy, and Representative Troy Carter for their support of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that made this possible.”
Syrah Technologies has been awarded $220 million to construct a new facility in Vidalia to expand their production of Active Anode Material (AAM), derived from graphite, which is a key component of lithium-ion batteries. Over two phases, the new facility is expected to create 221 jobs in Vidalia. Construction is already underway, with start of production expected in the third quarter of 2023. Syrah’s Vidalia facility will be the only vertically integrated and large-scale natural graphite AAM outside China.
Koura has been awarded $100 million to build the first U.S. manufacturing plant for lithium hexafluoridephosphate (LiPF6) on the grounds of the company’s existing site in St. Gabriel. The new plant is expected to create up to 80 new jobs. This facility will solve a critical risk in the supply chain for lithium-ion battery production in the U.S., as there are currently no large-scale domestic producers of LiPF6 and all of it must be imported from Asia. They are expected to produce enough LiPF6 for the domestic production of more than one million electric vehicles per year.
“This is truly a remarkable time for manufacturing in America, as President Biden’s Agenda and historic investments supercharge the private sector to ensure our clean energy future is American-made,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “Producing advanced batteries and components here at home will accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels to meet the strong demand for electric vehicles, creating more good-paying jobs across the country.”
