US battery cell developer Amprius Technologies said it selected Brighton, Colorado for a new gigafactory site.
It signed a letter of intent for the 775,000 square foot facility, expected to be operational in 2025. It will be built in phases starting with an initial 500MWh and the potential of up to 5GWh.
The size of the site could realise up to an expected total potential manufacturing capacity of 10GWh, it said. It will be the largest battery factory in Colorado.
This capacity increase is a significant expansion to Amprius’ manufacturing capacity and will serve strong customer demand for its high-performance silicon anode lithium-ion batteries, it said.
The location has a 1.3 million square foot existing factory site. It is equipped with the electric power and structural layout “ideal for a gigawatt-hour scale lithium-ion battery factory”, the company said, noting it will reduce expected building costs.
The factory is close to essential materials such as silane gas and critical transportation infrastructure, again reducing costs. “Overall, this site exceeded the company’s requirements,” it said.
The company has formed two business units. Amprius Fab, to be located in Brighton, will focus on large scale manufacturing of silicon anode batteries; and Amprius Lab, in Fremont, California, will focus on advanced battery technology, product, and manufacturing process development.
The initial 500MWh phase will be part-funded with a $50 million grant from the US Department of Energy. Amprius said it is among the first companies announced to receive funding under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
