CHICAGO, Dec. 01, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NanoGraf, the advanced battery material company enabling longer-lasting, higher-energy, and higher-power lithium-ion batteries, today announced the grand opening of its new office and manufacturing facility in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood. U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Resilience Halimah Najieb-Locke, and other confirmed attendees led a ribbon cutting ceremony for the 17,000-square-foot space, the first large-volume silicon oxide manufacturing facility in the U.S.
With the assistance of a $10 million grant from the U.S. government, NanoGraf has onshored its silicon anode battery material manufacturing to support Illinois’ emerging battery supply chain and the Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act and domestic manufacturing agenda. The new facility will enable NanoGraf to create more green and high-tech jobs in Chicago while scaling production to meet its needs as a fast-growing and innovative battery technology startup.
“NanoGraf’s new facility is proof that the innovation powering our future will come from right here in Illinois,” said U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL). “Establishing a new battery production center in Chicago brings clean energy technology and jobs right to our doorstep and makes our country’s battery supply chain more resilient.”
NanoGraf will use the facility to manufacture its proprietary silicon anode material, the key component of the world’s most energy-dense 18650 battery. This technology increases the energy density of batteries by over 20%, packing more energy in a smaller package and considerably lightening the load for users. This breakthrough innovation has already won the company multiple contracts, including $1.65 million from the U.S. Department of Defense.
“NanoGraf’s new manufacturing facility is a testament to our ongoing commitment to grow a robust, competitive domestic battery supply chain,” said Dr. Francis Wang, CEO of NanoGraf. “As a fully U.S. owned and operated company, we’re thrilled to play a pivotal role in creating new jobs and opportunities in Chicago.”
The new headquarters has an expected material production capacity of 35 tons per year, enough for 24 million battery cells, which would be more than enough to fulfill all of the U.S. Military’s power needs.
In addition to the manufacturing capabilities, the new space includes 2,500 square feet of space for R&D, quality assurance, and quality control efforts, and 3,500 square feet of office space for the rapidly growing business.
To learn more about NanoGraf, visit www.nanograf.com
About NanoGraf
NanoGraf is an advanced battery material company whose patented silicon anode technology enables longer-lasting, higher-energy, and higher-power lithium-ion batteries. NanoGraf works with more than 50 companies, including some of the world’s leading consumer electronics, household appliance, and power tool brands, and over 12 strategic partners in electric mobility (from startups to Fortune 100s). NanoGraf is a spinout of Northwestern University and Argonne National Laboratory. For more information, visit www.nanograf.com.
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