DOE Launches Battery Manufacturing Accelerator Initiative
The United States Department of Energy (DOE) has launched the Battery Manufacturing Accelerator (BattMan), a national initiative to help bring new battery technologies into commercial production, strengthen domestic manufacturing, and reduce reliance on foreign sourcing.
The BattMan Initiative
BattMan’s aim is to bring together national labs, universities, and manufacturers to address difficulties in producing new battery technologies on a commercial scale. The initiative plans to use AI, digital models of manufacturing processes, and real-time monitoring to identify production problems earlier, improve manufacturing methods, and reduce costs.
The program is led by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, with participation from Argonne National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the National Laboratory of the Rockies. University partners include Arizona State University, Binghamton University, the University of Alabama, the University of Michigan–Dearborn, and the University of Washington.
US Battery Supply Chain
Although the DOE has recently invested heavily in domestic battery cell and pack manufacturing, production of the materials and components needed to make them has not increased at the same rate. As a result, the US still relies heavily on imported battery materials and components, particularly from China.
US battery demand for transportation and electricity grid applications is projected to rise from 179 gigawatt-hours in 2025 to 707 gigawatt-hours by 2035. The DOE aims to establish a domestic battery supply chain covering everything from raw materials to finished products by 2030. BattMan will also focus on battery technologies that require fewer critical minerals and cost less to manufacture.
Image credit: IM Imagery/Shutterstock
