The company participated in the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) 3585 grant process through the manufacturing office, which focused on battery energy storage supply chains.
While Damato acknowledges the programme was “admittedly very focused on the lithium-ion (Li-ion) supply chain,” the application process proved valuable for engaging with DOE and advancing the company’s manufacturing plans.
The grant application identified a potential manufacturing site in Phoenix, Arizona, in partnership with contract manufacturer Benchmark. However, Damato clarifies that CMBlu is continuing to work with its contract manufacturers in the US to identify the best location strategically based on timing and available incentive or grant opportunities.
“We think a brownfield site is really our sweet spot. We don’t need some specialised facility, we just need a manufacturing space in an industrial zone, and put in our manufacturing equipment that is similar to the automotive production line,” Damato explains.
The company secured letters of support from potential customers demonstrating demand for “several megawatt-hours or gigawatt-hours” of non-lithium, 10-plus hour long-duration energy storage (LDES), helping justify the domestic manufacturing investment.
