New report details West Michigan’s role and opportunities in energy storage technology development and production
ZEELAND, Mich. – A new report projects ‘high’ potential for business growth in West Michigan for advanced energy storage (AES) and material manufacturing production. The West Michigan Advanced Energy Storage Ecosystem Report was compiled as a collaborative effort by Lakeshore Advantage, The Right Place and Greater Muskegon Economic Development to illustrate the region’s current industry assets and highlight its growth potential.
The report categorizes the AES supply chain into six distinct phases and illustrates that West Michigan is active in each. The supply chain starts with raw material sourcing and ends with material recycling. In between are the refining/processing, cell assembly, pack assembly, and end-use stages. The ‘high’ business growth potential for West Michigan identified in the report is in the cell and pack assembly stages, citing logistical advantages for locating cell, pack, and end-use assemblies in proximity.
Governor Whitmer recently announced LT Precision Michigan, LLC, a battery cooling plate supplier to electric vehicle manufacturers and subsidiary of Korea-based LT Precision Co., LTD will establish its North American headquarters in Holland.
“Michigan is a pivotal location for the automotive industry within the U.S.,” remarked LT Precision Michigan president, Wonseok Yang. “As one of LG’s partners and a provider for many different companies, we want to ensure that we provide stable supply and satisfaction to our clients by choosing Holland.”
AES end-use products include EV batteries, grid and stationary energy storage, and national defense applications. The report maps the current AES landscape in West Michigan with nearly two dozen businesses providing solutions for varied energy storage applications or products and services across the supply chain.
“We have already begun to see the benefits of having this report at our fingertips,” said Amanda Murray, vice president of business solutions for Lakeshore Advantage. “We met recently with a West Michigan chemical producer that was looking at entering the AES market and was considering locations outside the region. When we shared the report, they saw the possibilities here. It’s a tool we can use to show our businesses that West Michigan is a smart investment.”
Anchors and innovators in West Michigan’s AES industry cluster include:
- LG Energy Solution Michigan, Inc. – manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries to power EVs and other applications
- Gotion Inc. – lithium-ion battery component manufacturing for mobility, appliances, equipment and industrial applications
- Volta Power Systems – lithium-ion energy storage solutions for RV and specialty vehicle applications
- Natron Energy – novel sodium-ion technology battery manufacturer for uninterruptable power supply, data centers, and other industrial applications
- Jolt Energy – research and development of all-organic redox flow, grid-scale energy storage solutions
- ATC Drivetrain – battery remanufacture, repair, repurpose and recycling
Additionally, the report details robust offerings by higher education institutions in West Michigan devoted to workforce development within this sector. Three of the state’s universities and two of the region’s community colleges have devoted programs for training and research in energy storage and related technologies in West Michigan.
“Renewable energy is a rapidly growing and evolving field,” said Ferris State University President, Bill Pink. “Ferris State is committed to partnering with industries across this sector to build a highly skilled workforce ready to meet industry demands in West Michigan and beyond, now and long into the future. Partnering like this is in the Ferris State DNA. We are known for such partnerships in preparing the best graduates for the state of Michigan in sectors such as this!”
The West Michigan Advanced Energy Storage Ecosystem Report was sponsored by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation in collaboration with Lakeshore Advantage, The Right Place, Greater Muskegon Economic Development, Barry County Chamber and Economic Development Alliance, and the Middle Michigan Development Corporation. The report was produced by DISHER.