ENTEK, a Lebanon, Oregon-based company, has secured a conditional $1.2 billion loan from the US Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office to establish a lithium-ion battery separator factory in Terre Haute, Indiana. This new factory aims to strengthen the US lithium-ion battery supply chain, primarily serving the electric vehicle (EV) industry.
A battery separator is a crucial component of lithium-ion batteries, preventing electronic conduction between the anode and cathode while allowing ionic conduction. The factory’s production capacity is expected to meet the growing demand for EVs in North America, with an estimated requirement of 7 to 10 billion square meters of separators by 2030.
In addition to supporting the EV market, ENTEK’s separators will also be sold to energy storage battery manufacturers. The factory is anticipated to create approximately 763 construction jobs and 635 operational jobs, contributing significantly to the local economy.
With the support of this project, US EV manufacturers can meet battery component sourcing requirements under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. The factory’s completion will help provide high-quality battery separators for the North American market, supporting the production of millions of EVs in the coming years.
Overall, ENTEK’s new lithium-ion battery separator factory marks a significant step towards enhancing the EV industry’s sustainability and advancing the US’s position in the global battery market.
