US OM Group’s subsidiary EaglePicher Technologies (EaglePicher) has received a $22m funding from US Department of Defense to expand its lithium-ion production capabilities.
The Missouri-based battery manufacturer will use the federal grant for expanding its plant with a 100,000 sq.ft. addition and hiring more staff in order to deliver lithium-ion battery and materials to the US military.
The funding comes from the Defense Production Act Title III Programme for phase two of the Lithium-Ion Battery for Military Applications (LIMA) project that aims to assure the affordable production of lithium-ion batteries for national defense.
“We are delighted to take part in an investment that is critical to our national defense. Currently, the US government relies on lithium-ion cells that are produced outside the US,” said Randy Moore, President of EaglePicher.
During phase one of the project, competitors were required to demonstrate electrochemical cell technology that is capable of exceeding 250Wh/kg at an elevated discharge rate. EaglePicher is the only contracted company for phase two.
“Our current lithium-ion cell manufacturing focuses on medical and space applications,” said Ron Nowlin, Vice President and General Manager of Aerospace at EaglePicher. “In addition to the applications already mentioned, this new capability will also help us better serve both military manned- and unmanned-aircraft applications.
