US Receives $50m for Sulfide Solid Electrolyte Production

Solid Power, a leading company in the development of sulfide solid electrolyte for solid-state battery cells, is set to receive up to $50 million in funding. This financial support is being provided by the Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains at the US Department of Energy. The purpose of the funding is to establish the first continuous manufacturing process at the Solid Power Thornton facility located in Colorado.

The expansion project is specifically aimed at enabling small volume production to cater to the needs of current and future customers who are looking to transition from traditional lithium-ion batteries to All-Solid-State Battery (ASSB) technology. Notably, Solid Power has the backing of BMW, a major player in the automotive industry, which is currently in the process of qualifying the cells produced by Solid Power.

At present, Solid Power has the capacity to produce 30 metric tons of electrolyte per year. However, with the implementation of a multi-year capital improvement project, the company plans to ramp up its production significantly. The goal is to increase the annual production capacity to 75 metric tons by 2026 and further to 140 metric tons by 2028.

The sulfide-based solid electrolyte material developed by Solid Power is a crucial component that enables the creation of safer solid-state battery cells with impressive energy density of up to 970Wh/l and excellent high-temperature stability. By introducing a continuous manufacturing process, the company anticipates a substantial reduction in production costs compared to the current methods in use.

John Van Scoter, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Solid Power, expressed his optimism about the future of sulfide-based all-solid-state batteries. He stated, “We view our selection for funding by the U.S. Department of Energy as validation of the promise sulfide-based all-solid-state batteries hold. By adopting a continuous manufacturing process for our electrolyte, we expect to be able to meet anticipated near-term demand and set Solid Power up to become the leading global producer of sulfide-based solid electrolyte.”