Boston-based manufacturer Orbia Advance Corp. has opened a new 11,000-square-foot production facility in Madison dedicated to making custom electrolytes. The company will hire 25 workers to work at the facility.
The new plant, located near the Beltline and I-90 interchange, was financed by a $8.4 million contract from the U.S. Department of Defense.
The grant was awarded to help strengthen the national lithium-ion battery supply, revitalize the Wisconsin battery industry, and scale up production of electrolyte formulations, according to an announcement from Orbia.
“The battery industry is contributing to the growth of the U.S. economy with applications ranging from energy storage and grid stabilization to heavy industry and national security,” said Gregg Smith, president of Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials. “Orbia is committed to building a resilient, U.S.-led battery ecosystem, localizing supply chains and expanding domestic manufacturing. Our custom electrolyte facility will play a key role in the battery industry by developing technology to improve battery performance, safety and efficiency.”
Orbia is expanding its custom electrolyte business following a successful beta launch in 2023. Orbia had previously acquired Silatronix, a Madison-based startup with unique electrolyte technology, in 2021.
Orbia’s Fluor & Energy Materials business has continued investing in the state with a nearby Madison Technology Center focused on custom electrolyte research and development and its new electrolyte production facility. Orbia has also announced it will join the RESHAPE consortium to support energy materials research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Orbia’s custom electrolyte business serves a wide range of customers and applications including Navitas Systems, Enovix, Lithion Battery and Forge Nano, which use electrolyte formulations to create energy storage systems and batteries for industrial applications, consumer electronics, and the U.S. military.
