The centrotherm mass production deposition tool used to manufacture Amprius’s silicon nanowire anodes. (Photo courtesy Amprius)
Amprius is ramping up manufacturing capacity to 2 MWh, addressing growing demand for electric mobility.
FREMONT, Calif.—Lithium-ion battery manufacturer Amprius Technologies, Inc., recently completed the qualification process for its centrotherm mass production deposition tool to manufacture silicon nanowire anodes, according to a company release.
The milestone is said to mark a pivotal step in ramping production capacity to meet the growing demand for its ultra-high-energy SiMaxx™ cells in electric mobility applications.
Amprius developed its Silicon Anode Platform for the manufacture of next-generation lithium-ion batteries. Throughout its capacity expansion in Fremont, the company has been working on its anode fabrication process for the centrotherm tool to achieve the targeted silicon anode performance necessary to begin shipping commercial cells. The company said its demand pipeline is robust, with current SiMaxx capacity sold out through 2024.
With the qualification process complete, Amprius can complement its existing roll-to-roll systems with the centrotherm tool. This enables an increase in SiMaxx shipments as Amprius advances its Fremont, California, production ramp to 2 MWh, representing approximately a 10-fold increase in capacity online exiting 2024, the company said in the release.
“This achievement signifies a crucial advancement in scaling up production capacity to address the increasing need for our ultra-high-energy cells in electric mobility applications,” said Jon Bornstein, president of Amprius Labs, in the release. “Our primary focus in Fremont is to supply high-energy cells to meet this demand. The successful qualification of our production solution not only accelerates our ramp-up in Fremont this year but also prepares us to manufacture SiMaxx at our gigawatt-hour-scale factory in Brighton, Colorado.”
In addition to internal validation, Amprius has garnered support from industry partners. BAE Systems’ Robert Davidson emphasized the importance of Amprius’s qualification progress.
“The availability of ultra-high-energy cells is paramount to extend the operating capability of our PHASA-35 High-Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) vehicle,” Bornstein said in the release. “We are excited that Amprius is increasing the production capacity of its most advanced cells, aligning with our goal of establishing aircraft capable of addressing next-generation applications in long endurance, high altitude, and communications.”