Dive Brief:

• Battery separator manufacturer Microporous plans to build a $1.4 billion plant in Danville, Virginia, according to a Nov. 13 press release.
• The plant will produce separators for lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles, energy storage systems and consumer electronics in the North America market, Brad Reed, VP of corporate development, said in an email to Manufacturing Dive. The upcoming facility will create 2,015 jobs and production is expected to begin in 2026. 
• The company will develop the project in two phases, with each phase including approximately 500,000 square feet, with the potential to expand to over 2 million square feet, Reed said. Construction is set to begin in 2025.

Dive Insight:

The upcoming project is slated to receive up to a $100 million grant through the Department of Energy, which the agency announced in December 2023 under the company name MP Assets Corp.

The grant will help the company expand its wet process polyethylene lead-acid battery separator technology to improve production for the EV supply chain.

“The separator market for lithium-ion batteries is strategically important to Microporous as it represents the highest growth segment in rechargeable batteries,” Reed said.  

The grant is expected to create 282 jobs with the guarantee that 85% of the full-time employees are from local disadvantaged communities, according to Microporous’ December 2023 press release.

In addition to federal funding, the project is eligible to receive up to $60.6 million from the state’s Major Employment and Investment Project Approval Commission incentive due to the company’s large investment and job numbers, according to the release. 

The battery separator maker is set to receive up $25 million from the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission to bring major natural gas service to the project, according to the release. 

The upcoming plant will be located on Lot 1 of the Southern Virginia Megasite, a development strategically located near an industrial roadway with no weight restrictions, providing significant advantages for Microporous and its customers, Reed said. 

“This is a significant addition to Virginia’s corporate community and investment in Pittsylvania County from what we hope will be a big user of The Port of Virginia,” Virginia Port Authority CEO and Executive Director Stephen Edwards said in a statement. “Microporous has a lot of work ahead of it and the port is ready to help this company succeed, grow, and move its products to markets around the globe.”

Microporous has two other manufacturing plants, one located near its headquarters in Piney Flats, Tennessee, and the other located in Fiestritz, Austria, according to the website.

Correction: The story has been updated to reflect that Microporous will produce battery separators.