BOLIVIA, N.C.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Epsilon Advanced Materials (EAM), announced alongside N.C. Governor Roy Cooper at Brunswick County Community College, plans to build a $650 million graphite anode manufacturing facility in Brunswick County of North Carolina. The facility is the first and largest Indian investment in the U.S. electric vehicle (EV) battery industry.
“We’re proud to have North Carolina at the focal point of our U.S. manufacturing strategy. With its favorable geographical location, business supportive policies, and availability of a skilled talent pool, we are confident that the investment in the state is a major step. This step is towards creating sustainable energy transportation alternatives,” said EAM Managing Director Vikram Handa.
Gov. Cooper said North Carolina welcomes EAM and the development of its new 1.5 million-square-foot facility. The new facility is expected to create approximately 500 new jobs for the Greater Wilmington area. “North Carolina continues to lead the way in the transition to a clean energy economy. It does so by attracting good-paying jobs from great companies like Epsilon, which make our state stronger and healthier,” said Governor Cooper. “This historic investment will bring 500 clean energy jobs to Brunswick County, helping both our economy and our environment.”
“Having an environmentally friendly world-class facility in North Carolina resolves supply chain concerns. The automotive industry has experienced this in recent years,” said EAM CEO Sunit Kapur. “We are proud of our tech capability to manufacture both natural and synthetic graphite. This allows us to provide graphite anodes to the growing EV battery industry faster, more reliably, and at a competitive cost without import challenges.”
The company plans to break ground in 2024 and begin manufacturing in 2026, reaching full capacity by 2031. When operational, the facility will utilize green technologies to produce high-capacity anode materials for EV batteries.
Establishing a manufacturing plant in Brunswick County, North Carolina, offers strategic advantages. Moreover, these advantages include proximity to the Wilmington port, automotive suppliers, Southeastern vehicle manufacturing facilities, and the local community college. The location also streamlines logistics, reduces costs and provides access to the growing electric vehicle market. The skilled local workforce, with support from the community college and potential economic incentives, enhance the business environment. Geographic features offer resilience and sustainability.
Localizing the battery manufacturing ecosystem will not only provide strategic advantages but also aligns with the broader goal of helping automakers leverage EV subsidies under the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). This localization will boost domestic manufacturing, creating good-paying jobs and fostering economic growth within the community.
These efforts will contribute to building more resilient, secure, and trusted supply chains. Consequently, they are essential for the sustainability and competitiveness of the EV industry in the United States.
EAM, a wholly owned subsidiary of Epsilon Carbon Pvt Ltd., is already in discussions with local raw material suppliers and transportation partners for its North Carolina operations. When fully operational, the EAM facility will produce 50,000 tons per annum (TPA) of graphite anode.
