MOSES LAKE, Wash. – A new Sila EV battery plant is in development in Moses Lake with the goal of creating a cleaner energy future and hundreds of new jobs.
The plant is supported by U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), who helped secure a $100 million grant from the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Battery Materials Processing and Battery Component Manufacturing & Recycling program.
“Today we celebrate a win for Moses Lake, for the environment, and for helping make cars cleaner and more affordable,” says Senator Cantwell.
Cantwell also advocates for the new plant’s potential to advance domestic manufacturing and protect national security. Sila is investing an additional $500 million of their own money to build the 600,000-square-foot facility and has appointed Moses Lake Native Rosendo Alvarado as the Plant Manager.
The plant will produce anodes made both partially and fully from silicon, a globally available material, rather than graphite, which is used in most car batteries.
This decision comes after China, the world’s top graphite producer, recently announced export restrictions. Over the next five years, Sila aims to create more than 500 full-time jobs, as well as partner with Big Bend Community College and Columbia Basin Technical Skills Center to prepare students for entry-level technical and operational positions at the plant.
The new factory is estimated to produce enough materials to power 200,000 vehicles during the plant’s first phase, making it the largest silicon anode production facility in the world.
