An Augusta company plans to build a new plant that will bring 600 jobs to the area and help electric vehicles drive farther on a battery charge.
Last week, the federal government announced that Solvay Specialty Polymers, an international company with a facility in Augusta, will receive $178.2 million through the infrastructure bill passed earlier this year by Congress. Solvay plans to use the money to build a new plant in Augusta that will create about 500 construction jobs and about 100 skilled manufacturing jobs.
The new facility will be used to create polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), a polymer that will be used in EV batteries. PVDF will allow batteries to last longer on a single charge, contribute to cycle life and enhance battery durability.
The new facility is expected to be built near Solvay’s current facility off Tobacco Road between Peach Orchard Road and Mike Padgett Highway. When completed, the new facility is projected to produce 5 million battery components per year.
Once the project is approved, Solvay intends to partner with local universities and colleges to increase the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and technical training for economically disadvantaged, underrepresented, and rural communities, who are also expected to be a priority for recruitment for the project.
Solvay was one of 20 companies in the nation to receive funds from the infrastructure bill to help with EV batteries.
