Gov. Jim Justice held a signing ceremony at the former Weirton Steel mill for House Bill 2882, which appropriates $105 million to the West Virginia Economic Development Project Fund to be used for Form Energy’s new battery manufacturing facility.
Gov. Justice announced in December 2022 that Form Energy will partner with the State of West Virginia to build its first iron-air battery manufacturing facility on 55 acres of property in the northern panhandle of West Virginia, along the Ohio River, in the city of Weirton. The new battery manufacturing plant is expected to create a minimum of 750 new full-time jobs and will represent a total investment of up to $760 million, including $290 million from the State.
"I'm beyond proud to sign this legislation at the future site of Form Energy on the ground of where Weirton Steel once stood," Gov. Justice said. "Today, we're landmarking a new day where this community will thrive beyond belief. It's incredible this is going to bring 750 great-paying jobs. I thank the West Virginia Legislature for appropriating the necessary funds to make this happen. We all see the potential of this area and company, and I'm thankful we can celebrate another step in this transformational project."
Most grid-scale battery technologies on the market can only provide, at most, four to six hours of energy storage at full rated power. While this is adequate for some circumstances, recent severe weather events – ranging from heat waves to cold snaps to thousand-year rains – have hampered the electric grid. To reach energy independence, meet supply chain challenges, and run the grid reliably and affordably, there is a need for new, transformative domestically-manufactured energy storage technologies capable of cost-effectively storing electricity for multiple days. With more than 400 employees, Form Energy is an American energy storage technology and manufacturing company that is developing and commercializing an iron-air battery capable of cost-competitively storing electricity for 100 hours.
Mateo Jaramillo, Co-founder and CEO of Form Energy noted at the ceremony, “It is exciting to be here at the home of our first commercial battery manufacturing facility where we will soon break ground on construction. We are thankful to Governor Jim Justice, Secretary Mitch Carmichael, Senator Weld, Delegate Zatezalo, Speaker of the House of Delegates Roger Hanshaw, Senate President Craig Blair, and the City and County officials for their continued collaboration and support, which will bring 750 new jobs to West Virginia. We look forward to commencing construction in the coming months and to manufacturing batteries for broad commercialization starting in 2024.”
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