NOHMs Technologies Inc., announced last week that it is locating its pilot nanoscale battery materials manufacturing facility in Rochester, New York.
The facility, which is expected to be completed in February 2014, will conduct research, development and advanced manufacturing for lithium sulfur battery materials and battery cell prototypes.
It will be working to commercialize its light-weight electrode and electrolyte materials, which will supply more than twice the energy at half the cost of battery materials currently used in mobile devices, electric vehicles, military and stationary grid storage products, according to NOHMs. Incorporated in 2010, NOHMs is relocating seven full-time employees to the new site.
“This project will help establish Rochester as a hub for research, development and advanced manufacturing in the clean energy industry, while creating more than 100 permanent good-paying jobs in the city,” said Governor Andrew Cuomo.
The project will receive $1.5 million from the Governor’s Regional Economic Development Councils initiative, and is expected to create more than 100 new full-time scientific, technical, operations and manufacturing jobs in the next three years.
As part of the project, NOHMs, which stands for Nanoscale Organic Hybrid Materials, is partnering with the New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium (NY-BEST) and its BEST Test and Commercialization Center. The Finger Lakes REDC has identified the creation of a cluster of cleantech businesses at the Eastman Business Park as its top regional economic development resource, and the NOHMs announcement is now the second involving an energy storage company with plans to locate to the Park.
In July, Governor Cuomo announced a $23 million private-public investment toward the creation of the BEST Test and Commercialization Center. Under a partnership agreement with NY-BEST, DNV KEMA Energy and Sustainability, a Netherlands-based energy consulting company will invest in the Center and move its energy storage testing capabilities from Pennsylvania.
“Rochester is a natural fit for a materials company transitioning to manufacturing development because of the 100-plus year history of advanced materials innovation and manufacturing,” said 0NOHMs Technologies CEO Nathan Ball.
NOHMs will be working to commercialize its light-weight electrode and electrolyte materials, which will supply more than twice the energy at half the cost of battery materials currently used in mobile devices, electric vehicles, military and stationary grid storage products, according to NOHMs. Incorporated in 2010, NOHMs is relocating seven full-time employees to the new site.
Funding for the $2.6 million product development and manufacturing facility includes $1 million from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) for NOHMs’ pilot manufacturing facility and a $500,000 performance-based grant for the NY-BEST prototyping capabilities, intended to be located at RIT, from Empire State Development (ESD). The ESD funding commitment is linked to NOHMs’ job creation targets.
NOHMs Technologies CEO Nathan Ball said, “Rochester is a natural fit for a materials company transitioning to manufacturing development because of the 100-plus year history of advanced materials innovation and manufacturing. Governor Cuomo, the Finger Lakes Regional Council, and state organizations like NYSERDA, ESD and NY-BEST are investing aggressively in advanced manufacturing infrastructure and businesses that are developing tomorrow’s technology-driven products. We are happy to be a part of the excitement and growth in this sector in this region, and the resources and facilities that are available to us in Rochester and at Eastman Business Park will enable us to be successful in a very competitive high-risk, high-rewards industry.”
