A company that’s trying to become a major American-based supplier of graphite for electric batteries announced Monday it will invest $800 million to build a factory in southwest Georgia, hiring 400 workers.
Anovion Technologies, based in Chicago, said it would make synthetic graphite anode in Bainbridge. Production of the key ingredient for lithium ion batteries is supposed to start in 2025.
The plant would build on Georgia’s push to recruit makers of electric vehicles and their suppliers. Republican Gov. Brian Kemp said the announcement furthers his goal of making Georgia the nation’s electric mobility capital. Most battery graphite is currently made outside the United States.
Georgia economic development officials say more than 40 electric vehicle-related projects have been announced in Georgia since 2020, pledging $22 billion of investment and 28,000 jobs.
Anovion was created last year by combining the graphite businesses of two existing companies, Pyrotek and Amsted Graphite Materials, along with new investment from Monomyth Group, a private equity firm.
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It has existing facilities in Sanborn, New York, and Clarksburg, West Virginia, and earlier announced plans to build a graphite factory with a 35,000-ton yearly capacity near Muscle Shoals in northwest Alabama.
Anovion won a $117 million grant under the new federal infrastructure law last year to help finance the new Alabama plant, as well as improvements at its existing New York plant.
The company was attracted by Georgia’s workforce, research universities and growing solar energy production, Anovion CEO Eric Stopka said in a statement.
“We are looking forward to providing solutions that will further secure the country’s electrified future with the support of our partners in Georgia and the federal government,” Stopka said.
Anovion executives have said they are trying to reach 150,000 tons of production in…
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