Federal grant and state support Inflation Reduction Act-compliant EV battery material production.

Mitra Chem, a leading innovator in battery materials, has been selected by the state of Michigan's Competitiveness Fund and U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC) for up to $125 million in awarded funds to establish a cutting-edge manufacturing facility in Muskegon, Michigan. MESC plays a critical role in catalyzing investments in America's energy future to support the re-shoring, skilling, and scaling of U.S. manufacturing across energy supply chains.

Mitra Chem is a leading energy innovator that is establishing scale-up and commercial partnerships in the EV, energy storage, and defense markets. The facility promises IRA-compliant lithium iron phosphate and lithium manganese iron phosphate with an acceleration platform that combines proprietary technology with AI capabilities and automation to shorten the industry's standard lab-to-market time by a purported 90%, as the company's iron-based battery cathode materials avoid the significant environmental and geopolitical supply chain challenges associated with nickel and cobalt.

Mitra Chem's facility will provide the first mass production of lithium iron phosphate cathodes in North America, strengthening the U.S. domestic battery metal supply chain and establishing vital resource security independent of the current Chinese hold on battery production. (100% of battery-grade iron phosphate and lithium iron phosphate is produced outside of the U.S., with 99% coming from China.)

Mitra Chem

Mitra Chem is a leading energy innovator that will partner with Sun Chemical, which brings a century of advanced particle engineering, manufacturing and production efficiency, existing regulatory permitting, and extensive U.S. manufacturing infrastructure to the project.

Through this federal grant and state support, Mitra Chem is launching the American Production of Lithium Iron Phosphate and Future Innovation (AmPLIFI) project to contribute to a more robust domestic electric vehicle (EV) battery supply chain that aligns with the goals of the Inflation Reduction Act, as well as establishing the U.S. as a global leader in EV batteries, energy storage systems, and defense applications.

Mitra Chem plans to partner with Sun Chemical, which brings a century of advanced particle engineering, manufacturing and production efficiency, existing regulatory permitting, and extensive U.S. manufacturing infrastructure to the project.

"This award selection represents a pivotal moment for the entire U.S. battery industry," said Mitra Chem CEO Vivas Kumar. "By bringing advanced battery production to American soil we're securing our energy future and positioning the U.S. at the forefront of the global electric vehicle revolution. The support from the DOE and Michigan, and our collaboration with Sun Chemical, will accelerate Mitra's mission to revolutionize next generation battery production."

The Michigan-based facility will apply Mitra Chem's state-of-the-art acceleration platform that leverages machine learning and automation to unlock high throughput development and materials testing at 10x the speed of current industry practices.

"The partnership between Mitra Chem and Sun Chemical brings together expertise in advanced materials and large-scale chemical manufacturing," said Russell Schwartz, CTO of Sun Chemical. "By combining Mitra Chem's cutting-edge battery technology with a century of manufacturing experience, we're setting a new standard for innovation in cathode active materials for electrical storage. This project will demonstrate the power of American ingenuity and industrial might."

By 2027, Mitra Chem aims to scale up its facility, nearly doubling domestic LFP production capacity with 15,000 metric tons of new LFP per year, then double production again, contributing a significant leap forward in America's clean energy capabilities.