North Andover's 6K Awarded $50 Million In Funding By Dept. Of Energy

NORTH ANDOVER, MA — 6K Inc., the North Andover-based producer of materials for lithium-ion batteries, has been selected as the recipient of $50 million in federal funding from President Joe Biden's bipartisan infrastructure law, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced Wednesday.

The funding is designed to support innovation in battery manufacturing, recycling, and materials processing across the U.S to meet demand in the expanding electric vehicle (EV) market and to strengthen domestic supply chains, according to a government spokesperson.

The funds will be used by 6K for a demonstration project aimed at domestically producing multiple battery chemistries using its UniMelt plasma technology.

In a release, 6K said the $50 million will be part of a $107 million project "to accelerate deployment costs for battery material production associated with 6K's investment in a full-scale battery material manufacturing plant to be built in the southeast U.S."

The company said the project will strengthen American supply chains, accelerate battery production to meet increased demand, and secure the nation's economic competitiveness, energy independence, and national security.

"We are at a tipping point where investments in transformational technologies like our UniMelt microwave plasma will set us apart from China to help drive America's energy independence," said Aaron Bent, 6K's CEO.

6K was one of two Massachusetts companies to be awarded funding by the DOE this week. Ascend Elements of Westborough received awards totaling $480 million to construct a manufacturing plant that will use recycled batteries as raw material and reduce dependence on foreign material suppliers, a government spokesperson said.

After Wednesday's announcement, Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Rep. Jim McGovern (MA-02), Rep. Seth Moulton (MA-06), and other members of the Massachusetts Congressional delegation, applauded the DOE's decision to award funding to the two Massachusetts companies.

"Massachusetts ingenuity and innovation has and continues to inspire the next generation of climate solutions," the delegation said in a statement.

The statement continued: "We applaud today's announcement from the Department of Energy awarding two Massachusetts businesses, 6K Inc. and Ascend Elements, with historic federal support as they work to supercharge our nation's clean energy future, meet the growing demand for electric vehicles, and support good-paying jobs — not only for Massachusetts workers in North Andover and Westborough, but all across the nation."