Alevo is to open a 4m sq ft lithium-ion module manufacturing plant in the US state of North Carolina on 28 October.
BEST understands the manufacturing facility, on the site of the former Philip Morris cigarette plant in Concord, will produce ‘GridBank’ 2MW/1MWh lithium-ion battery modules. The modules are aimed at grid energy storage applications.
Details about the technology at this stage were patchy, but BEST understands the plant will be manufacturing lithium iron phosphate cells with non-flammable inorganic electrolyte.
Commentating on the choice of electrolyte, lithium-ion battery consultant Rick Howard told BEST: “Either it’s a solid-state LiPON derivative or an ionic liquid. Since discharge from these systems is relatively slow, there is no need for a conventional organic-carbonate electrolyte.
Alevo told local media it plans to create up to 2,500 jobs within the next three years at the plant.
Alevo was created in Karlsruhe, Germany as Alevo Battery Technology GmbH by a group of Norwegian businessmen.
