South Korea’s Energy Tech Solution has installed a prismatic battery assembly line at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in the US.

Energy Tech said on June 8 the installation of the 16-piece line, at the lab’s Grid Storage Launchpad (GSL), would boost advanced battery manufacturing and help US innovators get to market faster.

Following on-site training, PNNL is now the only Department of Energy lab capable of fabricating batteries with a prismatic architecture, Energy Tech said.

GSL is a $75 million research facility, funded by the Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity, focused on creating batteries and energy storage technologies that are critical to support a reliable, affordable, secure, and resilient electrical grid. 

The GSL brings all phases of the battery development and deployment cycle under one roof ― ranging from fundamental materials and device prototyping to 100kW-scale testing and validation. 

Energy Tech said fast prototyping and comprehensive testing of the entire energy storage development cycle are features not found anywhere else within the national laboratory system.

The new line, which includes slurry mixing, cell assembly, electrolyte filling and quality control, will be used for both Department of Energy research projects and contract work on behalf of industry partners.

Energy Tech, in addition to its 30 years of experience making factory equipment, recently unveiled its Made in America Cell Foundry ― a collaboration with the University of Michigan.

PNNL, operated by Battelle, advances chemistry, Earth sciences, data analytics, and biology to strengthen energy resilience, enhance national security, and further scientific discovery. 

Last year, PNNL won BCI’s annual innovation award for GSL.

Batteries International reported on June 20 that PNNL and Sandia National Laboratories had become the latest members of Battery Council International, joining under a new public benefit membership category.