The Loan Programs Office at the US Department of Energy (DOE) has made a conditional commitment for a direct loan of up to $670.6 million to Aspen Aerogels Georgia to help finance the construction of an aerogel blanket manufacturing facility in Register, Georgia.

Aspen’s PyroThin aerogel thermal barriers are used as a protective layer within electric vehicle batteries. They are designed to slow or prevent thermal runaway propagation, which can result in a fire. PyroThin combines thermal management, mechanical performance and fire protection properties to protect neighboring cells from being thermally triggered to avoid a fire if a battery cell fails.

Read our feature article: Aspen Aerogels’ cutting-edge materials protect against thermal runaway

Demand for aerogel thermal barriers is expected to increase in the US and Europe as more stringent thermal mitigation and prevention standards are implemented. The barriers can help OEMs reach their safety goals without sacrificing battery performance, Aspen says.

Once it reaches full capacity, the Georgia factory is expected to supply thermal barriers for over 2 million vehicle batteries annually.

Aspen has entered into multi-year contracts with a number of major EV manufacturers and suppliers, including GM, Toyota, Scania, Automotive Cells Company and Audi. The company is currently filling orders for contracted customers and producing prototypes for potential customers at its manufacturing plant in Rhode Island. The Georgia facility would help the company fulfill expected demand increases and support new offtake agreements.

If finalized, the loan would be offered through the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) Loan Program. The DOE and Aspen must meet certain technical, legal, environmental and financial conditions before the department finalizes the loan.

Source: US Department of Energy