Saint-Gobain, KLA, and Ion Storage Systems have joined forces in a groundbreaking collaboration aimed at expediting the production of anodeless solid-state batteries for electric vehicles in the United States. This ambitious initiative, funded by a $40 million, three-year grant from the US ARPA-E agency, will see the three partners collectively investing $20 million into the SCALEUP (Seeding Critical Advances for Leading Energy Technologies with Untapped Potential) program focused on ceramic solid-state battery cell production.
As a global leader in ceramics, glass, and materials supply, Saint-Gobain brings its expertise to the table, while KLA, a key equipment supplier, contributes its technological prowess. Ion Storage Systems, which recently inaugurated one of the largest solid-state battery manufacturing facilities in the US, specializes in lithium metal, compressionless SSB ceramic cell production. The facility, located in Maryland, is set to commence the production of 1MWh of battery cells this year, with plans to scale up to 10MWh by early 2025 and ultimately reach a capacity of 500MWh by 2028.
The collaborative project is designed to incorporate sustainability-focused cell design and manufacturing milestones, with a strong emphasis on developing innovative solutions that have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This aligns with the broader industry trend of car manufacturers racing to commercialize lithium metal solid-state battery technology in a bid to enhance driving range and reduce vehicle weight.
Dr. Gregory Hitz, Co-Founder and CTO of Ion, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, "ION and our world-class partners have reinvented ceramic membrane manufacturing for high throughput, low cost, and low emissions production of our safe, high energy solid-state battery. We are proud to be working hand-in-hand toward gigawatt-hour production and delivery of a market-leading EV battery solution."
Dr. Evelyn Wang, ARPA-E Director, emphasized the importance of accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles by enhancing driving range, reducing costs, and improving safety. She highlighted Ion Storage Systems' focus on developing next-generation solid-state, high-power-density lithium-metal batteries through its proprietary ceramic electrolyte manufacturing technology, which will be further advanced through the SCALEUP program.
Jeffrey Mydlarz, Vice President & General Manager at Saint-Gobain Ceramics, underscored the significance of electrification as a critical global challenge in reducing emissions. He expressed excitement about the collaboration with key innovators to engineer a better, safer, and greener world. Similarly, Oreste Donzella, Executive Vice President of Electronics, Packaging, and Components at KLA Corporation, affirmed the company's commitment to supporting Ion and next-gen battery development through industry-leading inspection and metrology equipment and expertise.