Forge Nano Expands North Carolina Plant to Boost Domestic Battery Production

Colorado-based Forge Nano has broken ground on a significant expansion of its manufacturing facility in Morrisville, North Carolina. The project establishes a domestic pipeline for advanced lithium-ion batteries tailored specifically for the aerospace and defense sectors.

The expansion is backed by a $100 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, with total investment estimated between $300 million and $330 million. Once operational, the facility will produce approximately 3 gigawatt-hours of batteries annually, providing critical power sources for military radios, drones, and electric military vehicles. Production is slated to begin in 2028 and is expected to create approximately 200 jobs across manufacturing, engineering, and operations.

Strategic Partnerships and Infrastructure

To scale operations, Forge Nano is partnering with Samsung SDI, which provides essential manufacturing expertise and supply-chain support. As part of this strategic alignment, Samsung SDI has entered into a conditional procurement contract to purchase cells produced at the Morrisville site.

Architecturally, the expansion involves adding a second floor to the company's existing 210,000-square-foot building. This increase in capacity is designed to meet the high-volume demands of government and commercial contracts while maintaining the precision required for high-performance battery chemistry.

The Push for Resource Independence

This expansion is a component of a broader federal strategy to reduce U.S. reliance on critical materials and semiconductors sourced from foreign adversaries. By shifting production to domestic soil, the U.S. seeks to insulate its national security infrastructure from the economic pressures and supply chain disruptions that characterize the global battery market, where foreign entities currently hold dominant control.

North Carolina has emerged as a hub for this industrial pivot. The Forge Nano project joins other high-tech initiatives in the region, including Wolfspeed’s silicon-carbide semiconductor plant in Siler City and Vulcan Elements' rare-earth magnet facility. Together, these projects represent a concerted effort to rebuild the domestic industrial base for advanced electronics.

National Security Implications

The move is viewed as a necessity for maintaining technological superiority. "As global competition increases, it's essential to maintain our leadership in technology and in innovation," said U.S. Sen. Ted Budd.

For the company, the expansion bridges the gap between laboratory innovation and industrial application. Paul Lichty, CEO of Forge Nano, stated that the facility will provide defense, aerospace, and commercial customers with access to advanced battery cells manufactured in the U.S. at the scale necessary to compete on a global stage.

Future Outlook

As the facility moves toward its 2028 production goal, industry observers will monitor the integration of Samsung SDI's expertise and the speed of the build-out. While the project aligns with the general trend of domestic sourcing, the specific impact on Department of Defense procurement timelines remains a key point of interest as the U.S. continues to tighten restrictions on foreign-made battery components.