6K Energy, a division of 6K and a leader in the sustainable production of critical materials for lithium-ion batteries, has announced the award of a $50 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for its PlusCAM battery materials manufacturing facility in Jackson, Tennessee. This grant is part of the more than $200 million construction cost for the PlusCAM plant.
PlusCAM will utilize the company’s proprietary UniMeltÒ microwave plasma technology for the production of cathode active material (CAM). This technology enables 6K Energy to deliver CAM for both NMC and LFP at a lower cost than Chinese suppliers, with superior ESG metrics, including significantly lower energy consumption and substantially lower CO2 emissions. The PlusCAM facility will serve as a model for supplying battery materials to major automotive OEMs and suppliers, including 6K investor Stellantis and European automakers.
“The national concern is focused on onshoring battery cells, but it’s severely misguided. The most critical item needed to break our reliance on China is CAM. No other production technology, other than UniMelt plasma, is capable of producing CAM with acceptable ESG levels and at costs lower than Asia,” said Sam Trinch, President of 6K Energy. “We are negotiating offtake agreements to commit our PlusCAM capacity, and the $50M grant helps us reach full-scale production beginning in late 2024 to meet our customer’s CAM supply requirements.”
“For our PlusCAM facility, we are committed to hiring 40% of our workforce from either disadvantaged, veteran, disabled, or diverse communities, which aligns well with the spirit of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Justice 40 Initiative,” explained Rob Davies, COO for 6K Energy. “The $50M grant will be used for construction of the facility and workforce development to ensure our employees have the safest work environment, high-value training programs, and a positive working experience across the board in our Jackson, TN facility.”
The PlusCAM facility, scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of 2024, will be the first sustainable manufacturing facility in the U.S. with industry-leading ESG metrics such as zero hazardous liquid or solid waste, 90% less water consumption, lower energy consumption and significantly lower CO2 emissions compared to traditional production technologies.
The $50 million commitment from the DOE to 6K Energy represents an important step towards more sustainable and independent battery materials production in the US. With advanced technology and a strong focus on sustainability and social responsibility, 6K Energy is positioning itself as a pioneer in critical material production for lithium-ion batteries.
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