Syensqo broke ground on its future battery-grade polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) facility in Augusta, Georgia. They were joined by Tom Perez, Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, and by Giulia Siccardo, Director of the Department of Energy’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains, as well as other representatives. The critical support of the Biden-Harris Administration underscores the project’s significance for the U.S. EV market.
When complete, the site will be the largest PVDF production facility in North America, supplying the growing needs of domestic energy storage markets. A significant milestone in Syensqo’s global electrification strategy, this facility will help create battery materials needed to unlock economy-wide electrification and electric vehicle (EV) adoption. PVDF is a thermoplastic fluoropolymer that is used as a lithium-ion binder and separator coating in batteries. Specifically, the new site will produce Solef, Syensqo’s signature PVDF product, which enables EVs to go farther on each charge, extends battery life and improves battery safety.
“Today, as Syensqo inaugurates the development of this facility in Augusta, we are translating our ambitions to help protect our planet and advance humanity into action. We are proud to contribute in shaping the future of energy storage to unlock the market potential of electrification and boost the adoption of EVs in the U.S. The groundbreaking of our new facility marks a significant milestone for the growth of our company and in the continued growth of the American EV industry,” said Dr. Ilham Kadri, CEO of Syensqo.
The site is estimated to produce enough PVDF for more than 5 million EV batteries per year at full capacity, or 45 percent of expected PVDF demand required by 2030, creating a new and reliable supply for the rapidly growing U.S. EV battery market, as well as hundreds of jobs throughout the value chain.
“Working together, governments, automakers, and materials providers are helping this vital region continue to grow and become a center of the EV revolution. Syensqo’s new facility will provide a reliable supply of EV materials, giving the industry access to a robust domestic supply chain. We’re ready to become a part of the ‘Made in America’ Battery Belt and realize our commitment to driving sustainable EV innovation while bolstering economic growth in the Augusta region,” said Mike Finelli, Chief Technology & Innovation Officer and Chief North America Officer at Syensqo.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains awarded Syensqo a $178 million grant to help build this facility. The grant was awarded as part of the U.S. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to expand domestic manufacturing of batteries for EVs and the electrical grid. The facility will create approximately 500 local construction jobs to build the facility, and more than 100 highly skilled local manufacturing jobs to staff the facility once complete.
Additionally, Syensqo is investing $1 million to support local workforce development by expanding access to educational resources and technical training for economically disadvantaged, underrepresented and rural communities, who are also expected to be a priority for recruitment for the project. As part of that investment, Syensqo will make contributions to local higher education institutions, including Augusta Technical College.
The Augusta facility is part of a joint venture between Syensqo and Orbia. In combination, Orbia’s raw material assets and production expertise and Syensqo’s Solef® PVDF will ensure a consistent supply of a superior, high-quality, and consistent PVDF product that contributes to performance and battery longevity.