American Battery Factory President John Kem

Sean White‘s Solar and Energy Storage Podcast

This is my first interview with a real US Military General and I am honored that he took the time to meet with me. I am not worthy! John Kem is in the civilian sector now and is the President of American Battery Factory! In this podcast we discuss their huge Gigafactory, which they are building in Arizona and which will go online towards the end of 2025 making made in the USA lithium iron phosphate (LFP) lithium-ion batteries. They are working on prismatic battery cells, which are as big as 1kWh each! In the podcast we talk about the manufacturing processes and how the battery materials are put together in a factory that can produce 4GWh per year of battery cells. Topics covered: American Battery Factory Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP)IRA = Inflation Reduction Act Army Corps of Engineers Civil WorksMining Battery cell production and safety Investment and manufacturing scale of American Battery Factory The process and challenges of battery cell manufacturing Battery factory American Lithium Mining Cobalt in the Congo Gigafactory Abundance and toxicity of Lithium, Iron and Phosphorous Big Battery Cell Folding Cells Prismatic Battery Cell 314 Ah cells x 3.2V = 1kWh/cell Half of a shoebox size cell Bigger is better Pouch and cylindrical battery cell comparison Prismatic folding speed increased Longer cycle life Fiji Water bottle shape comparison Chemical Mixing Anode and Cathode layers Thin coating Isotropic graphite = consistent shape Narrow film LFP is the cathode LFP mix in vats Absorption capacity for ions to flow Buy pre-mixed LFP Separator between anode and cathode Foils Cans - Aluminum Food can people making battery can for prismatic battery (cell casing) Stationary Energy Storage Systems Smart grid Underground mining operations Drag racing and LFP Range anxiety Home to GWh ESS Tax credit survival vs. competitive manufacturing Made in America with Chinese parts Smartest people in the world come to America Energy storage is required for net zero Investing and buying American Battery Factory Privately held now Series A and Series B funding defined Accredited investors and venture capital Check out the American Battery Factory website: www.americanbatteryfactory.com For good luck, give this podcast 5️s Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at www.heatspring.com/sean