India-based battery materials company Epsilon Advanced Materials (EAM) has announced plans to set up a $650m graphite anode manufacturing facility in North Carolina, US.
To be built in Brunswick County, the new plant will leverage green technologies to produce synthetic graphite anode material which is a significant component in the batteries that power electric vehicles (EVs) and other energy storage systems.
Epsilon Advanced Materials aims to begin the construction of the graphite anode manufacturing facility in 2024 and start manufacturing in 2026.
The proposed American plant is anticipated to reach full capacity by 2031.
Once fully operational, it will produce 50,000 tons per annum of graphite anode.
Besides, the 1.5 million-square-foot graphite anode production plant is estimated to generate nearly 500 new jobs for the Greater Wilmington area.
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said: “North Carolina continues to lead the way in the transition to a clean energy economy by attracting good-paying jobs from great companies like Epsilon that make our state stronger and healthier.
“This historic investment will bring 500 clean energy jobs to Brunswick County, helping both our economy and our environment.”
According to Epsilon Advanced Materials, the proposed facility is the first and largest Indian investment in the US electric vehicle (EV) battery sector.
The company also said that it is in talks with local raw material suppliers and transportation partners for its North Carolina operations.
Epsilon Advanced Materials CEO Sunit Kapur said: “Having an environmentally friendly world-class facility in North Carolina resolves supply chain concerns that the automotive industry has experienced in recent years.
“We are proud that with our tech capability to manufacture both natural and synthetic graphite, we will be able to provide graphite anodes to the growing EV battery industry faster, more reliably, and at a competitive cost without import challenges.”
