Entek Manufacturing Inc. has confirmed that it has selected Terre Haute, Ind., as the site of a $1.5 billion manufacturing complex for lithium-ion battery film separators.
In a March 22 news release, Lebanon, Ore.-based Entek said the project is its largest investment and "will create up to 642 new, high-wage jobs by the end of 2027 and support the growing electric vehicle (EV) industry in Indiana and across the United States."
Entek makes the polymer film using a wet process with a proprietary solvent. It was selected in 2022 for a $1.2 billion grant from the federal government's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, with the financing going to support the development of two plants for battery film production by Entek International — part of Entek Manufacturing. A location for the second site hasn't been announced yet, but at a press briefing in February, CEO Larry Keith indicated that Terra Haute and a site in Alabama were likely locations.
With an increased emphasis on both EVs and building a U.S.-based supply chain for those vehicles, producers of key electric drivetrain parts such as battery components are receiving extra attention.
Keith said in the news release that the Indiana location is a "nearly shovel-ready construction site with available utilities located in an industrial park, excellent vocational education and the business-friendly incentives from both the state and local governments."
When completed, the site will be able to produce enough film for batteries powering up to 1.6 million vehicles, Entek said.