Forge Nano has broken ground on its 3GWh ‘America Battery Gigafactory’ in North Carolina, which it said will become a key link in the domestic battery supply chain.

The company, which makes semiconductors and batteries for commercial and defence customers, announced the move at its existing Morrisville facility on August 19.

Forge Nano said Morrisville, backed by $100 million in federal funding from the US Department of Energy, will expand from 100,000 ft² to nearly 315,000ft² and produce some 150 million battery cells each year.

Samsung SDI is supporting Forge Nano at the Morrisville plant, providing operational and manufacturing expertise. Once operational, the plant is expected to manufacture Samsung SDI battery cells alongside Forge Nano’s existing cell products.

Samsung SDI has also entered into a conditional procurement agreement to buy cells manufactured at the plant starting in 2028, while Forge Nano will be a contract manufacturer and an authorised distributor of the cells in the US market.

Both firms also plan to incorporate Forge Nano’s proprietary Atomic Armor nano-coating tech into future Samsung SDI battery products.  

The partnership was strengthened last July with a $20 million strategic investment by Samsung SDI in Forge Nano, including $10 million in Forge Nano’s Series D financing and $10 million in the company’s PIPE (private investment in public equity) — financing associated with its planned public listing.

Forge Nano has also agreed to merge with special purpose acquisition company Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners II.

Paul Lichty, CEO of Forge Nano, said the company is combining its technology with world-class manufacturing expertise, federal support and North Carolina’s growing advanced manufacturing ecosystem to bring critical battery production to the US.

“America’s battery gigafactory will give defence, aerospace and commercial customers access to advanced battery cells manufactured here at home, at the scale needed to compete globally.”