Forge Nano, Inc. has broken ground on a major expansion of its lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility in Morrisville, North Carolina, in a move aimed at strengthening domestic battery supply chains for defense, aerospace, and other critical U.S. markets. The company said the project will expand its current 100,000-square-foot site into a manufacturing campus approaching 315,000 square feet and is expected to create more than 250 jobs in North Carolina. At full production, the facility is designed to reach approximately 3 gigawatt-hours of annual battery cell manufacturing capacity.
U.S. Senator Ted Budd, U.S. Representative Deborah Ross, Morrisville Mayor TJ Cawley, and Assistant Secretary of the Department of Energy Audrey Robertson joined Forge Nano leadership, employees, strategic partners, and community representatives at the site to mark the milestone. Forge Nano said the expansion is intended to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign-controlled supply chains for batteries used in applications tied to national security.
The project is supported by up to $100 million in non-dilutive funding from the U.S. Department of Energy. Company leaders said construction is expected to begin soon, with manufacturing equipment scheduled for delivery over the next two years and production projected to start in 2028. Forge Nano said the facility’s output could support a range of defense and commercial uses, including drone batteries, electric military vehicles, radio batteries, and energy storage systems, depending on customer demand and product mix.
A key part of the company’s manufacturing strategy is its partnership with Samsung SDI. The battery maker is providing operational and manufacturing expertise to help establish and launch the Morrisville facility. Forge Nano said it expects to manufacture Samsung SDI battery cells alongside its own existing cell products once the site is operational. Samsung SDI has also entered into a conditional procurement agreement to buy cells produced at the facility beginning in 2028 and made a $20 million strategic investment in Forge Nano in July.
Forge Nano said it chose North Carolina for its advanced manufacturing ecosystem, skilled workforce pipeline, and logistics advantages. The company expects the project to add manufacturing, engineering, operations, and technical jobs as the site ramps up.
Source: GlobeNewswire
