Maryland Governor Wes Moore Visits ION Storage Systems in Beltsville, MD, Celebrates ION's Recent Successes and Announces Further Investments for Maryland's Advanced Manufacturing

BELTSVILLE, Md., Aug. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Maryland Governor Wes Moore, accompanied by Congressman Glenn Ivey, ARPA-E Director Evelyn Wang, Ph.D., the President of the University of Maryland Darryll Pines, Maryland State Senator Jim Rosapepe, Maryland State Delegate David Fraser-Hidalgo and other Maryland state and local officials, celebrated ION Storage Systems' (ION) recent success at its Beltsville, Maryland, facility. ION, a manufacturer of safe, high energy density, fast charging solid-state batteries (SSB), recently received a $1 million state grant from the Build Our Future Grant Pilot Program, a $1.5 million commitment from the Maryland Technology Development Corporation, known as TEDCO, through the Maryland Venture Fund, and a $20 million award from the U.S. DOE's Seeding Critical Advances for Leading Energy technologies with Untapped Potential (SCALEUP) program. During the visit to Beltsville, the governor announced $11 million in funding to support advanced manufacturing and innovation projects, as part of the Moore-Miller Administration's commitment to making Maryland more competitive.

"ION Storage Systems is a Maryland original. Their success underscores our state's growing leadership in science, technology, and advanced manufacturing," said Governor Moore. "Today, we take another step toward driving public investment in the innovation economy, creating jobs, and spurring growth for years to come. In partnership, we will make Maryland the best place in the world to change the world."

"ARPA-E's SCALEUP Program is designed to scale transformative technologies that create more secure, affordable, and sustainable energy," said ARPA-E Director Evelyn Wang, Ph.D. "ION Storage Systems is well-positioned to accomplish this goal, and we are excited to see what they achieve."

"We are extremely proud that the foundations of ION Storage Systems' work on revolutionary solid-state battery technology was born out of research developed in the Maryland Energy Innovation Institute (MEII), housed in the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland and under the tutelage of Dr. Eric Wachsman. Today, we celebrate ION's innovative solution to a changing climate in the form of a more energy-efficient, cost-effective, and durable solution to battery technology. We wish them much success as they leverage an ARPA-E SCALEUP Award to advance manufacturing processes and their product development. Their solid-state battery solution will inspire economic growth and job creation in Prince George's County and the entire state of Maryland," said University of Maryland President Darryll Pines.

"We are thrilled to have Governor Moore visit our facility," said Ricky Hanna, CEO of ION Storage Systems. "The support from the 'Build Our Future Grant Pilot Program' is a testament to the governor's dedication to fostering innovation and supporting companies like ours that are driving technological progress. This grant, along with the $1.5 million TEDCO investment and the $20 million in federal DOE funding will accelerate our mission to provide cutting-edge Solid State Battery solutions. It also highlights Maryland as a logical and competitive landscape for other clean energy startups. With the state and federal government's support, ION Storage Systems will grow to 80 employees by the end of the year as we scale up to meet demand. We thank the governor for his vision, leadership, and unwavering support."

During the visit, Governor Moore and the delegation of elected officials toured ION's cutting-edge facility, getting a firsthand look at the groundbreaking work in Solid State Battery technology. The tour showcased ION's dedication to creating advanced, safe, and sustainable battery solutions that are set to transform the industry.

"To secure a more prosperous and sustainable future, we need to further accelerate clean energy innovation. We are building that future right here in Maryland by investing in cutting-edge technological advancements like ION's solid-state batteries. With robust federal ARPA-E investment, we're not only helping create good-paying manufacturing jobs for Marylanders – we're also helping leverage more clean energy opportunities for growth and innovation through our partnerships across the academic, private and public sectors," said Senator Van Hollen, who was on hand celebrating ION's commissioning of their production line in May.

Congressman Glenn Ivey, who has visited ION several times in the past, recently helped the company celebrate a U.S. DOE grant for $20 million earlier this summer. "Today, I'm proud to celebrate this important funding from the Biden-Harris administration's historic Investing In America Agenda which is powering the commercialization of transformative energy technologies that companies like ION Storage Systems are pioneering. I'm proud to partner with Governor Moore and the great State of Maryland to ensure that ION and other companies like it are creating jobs right here in Prince George's County," said Congressman Ivey.  

Maryland State Senator (D-21) Jim Rosapepe and Maryland State Delegate (D-15) David Fraser-Hidalgo were also on hand at the event. "If electrification is mission critical to fighting climate change, then a technological leap in energy storage is mission critical to electrification. That's what this new battery manufacturing plant in Beltsville is all about," said Senator Rosapepe.

About ION Storage Systems, Inc.
ION offers a uniquely adaptable solid-state battery solution for a variety of applications including defense and aerospace, consumer electronics, electric vehicles, and grid storage. The product of a materials-science-based approach, ION's patented solid-state lithium metal technology can offer a battery without cobalt, nickel, and other less sustainable materials offering a variable architecture of revolutionary 3-D, ceramic structure, built with rapidly scalable manufacturing in mind. ION leverages a unique ceramic cell design that supports the use of current and next-gen cathode chemistries, promoting circularity and recycling, avoiding the issues and challenges of mining, and refining rare earth metals.

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SOURCE ION Storage Systems