I went to the grand opening / dedication ceremony of the Form Energy Battery Factory in Weirton this afternoon.
In a word, uplifting.
Today, I witnessed the rebirth of industry in my hometown. Form Energy is manufacturing a new type of battery that costs 20% that of lithium and is recyclable. These batteries will be used to store excess power in off-peak hours that would otherwise be wasted. That energy can then be thrown back onto the grid during peak hours. This is the first battery of its kind and is being made in Weirton first.
I spoke with various officials (PR, state government) and actually sat at a picnic table with one of the founders of the company. I was very impressed. Here are some photos from the day. I can honestly say that I walked around the factory with tears in my eyes, tears of joy.
I'm wearing one of the hard-hats (shaped like a cowboy hat) used in some of the construction.
There are no overhead cranes. This is used to lift materials and finished electric cells.
Robotic assembly.
These look like testing stations (wasn't told what they are).
The future of batteries - 80% cheaper than lithium and recyclable.
West Virginia Governor (soon to be senator) Jim Justice and his pooch "Baby Dog".
One of the founders (I did not catch his name, unfortunately). There was a lot of ambient noise.
Note the sign over the break area. Yes, that's real.
The Weirton Steel Open Hearth's supply shed is visible outside a window in the facility lobby. I had a pretty good laugh. All the Form Energy folks were referring to the building as the Open Hearth. I did set the PR lady and some others straight as to the purpose of the structure.
A montage of photos of both Weirton Steel (in black and white) and the Form Energy building (in color).
Lobby
Another photo of the lobby looking south.
On the table are jars of the iron powder used to coat sheets placed in batteries. To the right is a battery cell mockup.
This was a timeline created by the Weirton Area Museum and Cultural Center as part of the lobby area.
Not to be forgotten, there were a few remnants of the mill visible - coil cars and gondolas.
Like E.T. Weir before him, the founder cited the area's access to water and rail as major reasons for choosing Weirton from nearly 500 candidate sites. He also was attracted to Weirton's people and their can-do attitude.
It was an amazing day, a day of hope.
George