January 24, 2025: Microporous said on January 15 it had been awarded a $100 million US federal grant that will boost the domestic lithium ion battery market and significantly bolster energy independence.

The grant, under the Department of Energy’s advanced energy manufacturing and recycling grant program, derives from the US bipartisan infrastructure laws.

Microporous said it is now set for commercial launch this year of an ultra-thin, coated wet-process polyethylene (PE) lithium battery separator capacity in Piney Flats, Tennessee.

This will be followed next year with a high-volume coated PE lithium battery separator production in Virginia.

The company said production of ultra-thin, coated wet-process PE lithium ion battery separators will reduce reliance on foreign suppliers, while supporting the US electric vehicle market.

Microporous plans to invest $1.35 billion in domestic separator capacity as the key tenant in the newly developed Southern Virginia Megasite. The company said last year it will develop the project in two phases

Meanwhile, Microporous is recruiting to bolster its workforce across the group’s sites.

Batteries International reported last February that private equity firm Trent Capital Partners had acquired full control of Microporous.

Trent had been a minority owner of Microporous for 10 years and Trent’s founder and MD, Ray Desrocher, had served on the Microporous board since that time.