Anthro Energy has begun building a new plant in Louisville, Kentucky, with annual production capacity of 25 gigawatt-hours of electrolytes—enough to supply batteries for more than 300,000 electric vehicles, according to the company. The plant is scheduled to begin production in 2028 as part of efforts to establish a U.S. supply chain for battery materials.
The facility’s goal is not limited to increasing production of conventional electrolytes; Anthro Energy is betting on their use to support solid-state and semi-solid-state batteries, technologies that still face difficulties in manufacturing durable, cost-effective cells at scale.
A Local Source for Battery Materials
Battery manufacturers are seeking materials that are not associated with so-called “foreign entities of concern” (FEOC), referring to concerns about Chinese companies’ control over parts of supply chains. David Mackanic, co-founder and CEO of Anthro Energy, said the plant will serve U.S. customers specializing in battery production and provide local supplies free from this association.
The project is receiving $24.9 million from the U.S. Department of Energy under the bipartisan infrastructure law, in addition to $18.4 million in investment tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act. Kentucky also provided $2.3 million in tax incentives in exchange for creating 110 permanent jobs.
The company says the plant’s location provides access, within a driving trip of no more than 12 hours, to 70% of the battery production facilities currently operating in the United States, which could help it become a node in the emerging domestic supply chain.
How Does Proteus Electrolyte Work?
The plant will be capable of producing multiple types of electrolytes. Mackanic wants to dedicate an increasing share of production to the company’s Proteus polymer material, which was designed to be incorporated into existing production lines with limited modifications. This flexibility allows the plant to begin by using formulations supplied by other companies before gradually shifting production to Anthro’s material after it is approved by customers.
In Anthro’s process, the electrolyte enters the cell in liquid form, allowing it to penetrate the anode and cathode in a manner similar to the liquid electrolytes currently in use; it then solidifies and functions as if it were a material binding the battery’s components together. According to the company, the resulting cell may be 10 to 15 times stronger than a cell with a liquid electrolyte, while also potentially offering flexibility.
Why Does This Development Matter?
Solid-state batteries are considered among the technologies expected to increase energy density and reduce fire risks because they replace flammable electrolytes with a solid barrier between the anode and cathode. This barrier also helps prevent the growth of “dendrites,” which can reach between the two electrodes and cause short circuits.
However, these advantages have not yet translated into broad commercial production because of the difficulty of manufacturing durable, cost-effective cells. Therefore, the importance of Anthro’s plant is not tied solely to the volume of electrolytes, but also to its attempt to address the transition from limited production to large-scale manufacturing—a stage at which several battery-materials companies have failed. These materials could eventually be used in electric vehicles, drones, and robots, while the article indicates that Chinese companies are looking to begin pilot production of solid-state batteries in 2027.