Two Louisiana Companies Receive Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding to Expand Electric Vehicle Battery Manufacturing in Louisiana

Baton Rouge, Louisiana — Louisiana Governor Edwards announced on October 19, 2022, that two Louisiana companies had been given $320 million in US Department of Energy money from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) to boost the manufacturing of electric car battery components.

“These massive investments will have transformational impacts in Vidalia and St. Gabriel and create hundreds of jobs,” said Governor Edwards. “This is another step forward in our important work to diversify and grow Louisiana’s economy, create good-paying jobs, and become leaders in the global energy transition as we move toward our goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. I would like to thank U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm for awarding Louisiana this funding, and I would also like to thank President Biden, Senator Bill Cassidy, and Representative Troy Carter for their support of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that made this possible.”

Syrah Technologies has been awarded $220 million to build a new facility in Vidalia to increase the production of Active Anode Material (AAM), a critical component of lithium-ion batteries. The new factory is planned to produce 221 positions in Vidalia, Louisiana across two phases. Construction has already begun, with production set to begin in the third quarter of 2023. Outside of China, Syrah’s Vidalia project will be the only vertically integrated and large-scale natural graphite AAM facility.

Koura has been awarded $100 million to construct the first lithium hexafluoridephosphate (LiPF6) production plant in the United States on the grounds of the company’s existing location in St. Gabriel, Louisiana. Up to 80 new jobs are likely to be created by the new plant. This plant will address a significant risk in the supply chain for lithium-ion battery manufacturers in the United States, as there are currently no large-scale domestic producers of LiPF6, which must all be imported from Asia. They are projected to create enough LiPF6 to produce more than one million electric automobiles in the United States each year.

“This is truly a remarkable time for manufacturing in America, as President Biden’s Agenda and historic investments supercharge the private sector to ensure our clean energy future is American-made,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “Producing advanced batteries and components here at home will accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels to meet the strong demand for electric vehicles, creating more good-paying jobs across the country.”