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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Mitra Chem Plans Muskegon, Michigan, Battery Manufacturing Operations

09/30/2024
Lithium-ion battery materials manufacturer Mitra Chemplans to establish battery material manufacturing operations in Muskegon, Michigan. The $125 million project is expected to create 150 jobs.

The company will partner with Sun Chemical on the new facility which will be the first mass production operation for lithium iron phosphate cathodes in North America, focusing on developing and manufacturing next-generation materials for electric vehicles and battery storage.

"This award selection represents a pivotal moment for the entire U.S. battery industry," said Mitra Chem CEO Vivas Kumar. "By bringing advanced battery production to American soil we're securing our energy future and positioning the U.S. at the forefront of the global electric vehicle revolution. The support from the DOE and Michigan, and our collaboration with Sun Chemical, will accelerate Mitra's mission to revolutionize next generation battery production."

The company was recently awarded up to $125 million from the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains and the state of Michigan's Competitiveness Fund.

"The partnership between Mitra Chem and Sun Chemical brings together expertise in advanced materials and large-scale chemical manufacturing," noted Russell Schwartz, CTO of Sun Chemical. "By combining Mitra Chem's cutting-edge battery technology with a century of manufacturing experience, we're setting a new standard for innovation in cathode active materials for electrical storage. This project will demonstrate the power of American ingenuity and industrial might."

Mitra Chem is innovating and commercializing iron-based cathode materials to enable mass-market electrification in transportation and energy storage. The company applies its acceleration platform that leverages machine learning and automation to unlock high throughput development and materials testing at 10x the speed of current industry practices.

“Battery cathode powder is one of the first stages in battery production, so it aligns really well with some other companies we have here and skill sets that can be built upon that are existing in our county,” added Greater Muskegon Economic Development CEO Marla Schneider.

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