Florida and Saft Come Together for Major Lithium Ion Battery Plant
Armed with $95.5 million in grant money received under Pres. Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Saft America Inc. has announced plans for construction of a lithium-ion factory in Jacksonville, FL.
Florida’s deal with Saft is the latest in a string of partnerships and investments between states and battery developers and manufacturers. The total estimated cost of this particular project is around $200 million, and it’s estimated that it will bring roughly 279 jobs to the area throughout the next six years.
“Florida is stepping onto the world stage as a major marketplace for advanced energy technologies,” said Florida Governor Charlie Crist. “We are excited about Saft establishing their lithium-ion factory in Florida, and we look forward to their being a part of Florida’s renewable energy future.”
The plan for Saft’s new facility in Jacksonville is for it to become a high-volume manufacturing plant building advanced Li-ion cells and batteries for military hybrid vehicles, aviation, smart grid support, broadband back-up power and energy storage for renewable energy.
“We extend our thanks to the Governor’s Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development, Jacksonville Economic Development Commission, the Cornerstone Regional Development Partnership and Enterprise Florida for their dedication to bringing this project to fruition. Through this partnership between Saft, the city of Jacksonville, and the state of Florida, we are going to build an advanced factory of the future and bring many high-technology jobs to Jacksonville,” said Thomas Alcide, president of Saft America Inc.
Construction on the facility is scheduled to commence within the next few months and is slated to be completed before the end of 2010.
Category: Battery News
