Cabot Corporation announced a modified $50 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI) that will support the company’s recently announced plans to expand its North American battery materials platform.
Supported by this DOE grant and approximately $75 million of Cabot investment, the company plans to expand domestic production of advanced conductive additives at its facilities in Franklin, Louisiana, and Pampa, Texas.
The planned investments are designed to address rising demand for advanced battery materials driven by the expansion of energy storage systems, increasing power requirements from artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure and data centers, ongoing grid modernization efforts, and broader electrification trends. It will support this growing demand while expanding domestic production of critical conductive additives in the United States.
The grant reflects a collaborative effort between Cabot and DOE to redirect funding from the company’s originally announced Michigan project to a two-site brownfield expansion program. By leveraging existing manufacturing assets, Cabot expects to accelerate the development of a local and secure supply of critical conductive additives for the growing domestic battery supply chain while strengthening its ability to serve customers globally. The planned investments are also expected to support high-quality manufacturing and construction jobs and contribute to U.S. leadership in advanced battery materials technologies.
Cabot is well-positioned to capitalize on growing demand for advanced battery materials through its decades of materials expertise, longstanding relationships with many of the world’s leading battery manufacturers, global manufacturing footprint, and broad portfolio of conductive carbons, carbon nanotubes, and carbon nanostructures. Together, these capabilities enable the company to scale production efficiently, support customers with localized supply, and compete across the major battery markets of North America, Europe and Asia.
“This investment represents an important step in our strategy to build a differentiated battery materials business that supports some of the most significant growth trends shaping the global economy,” said Sean Keohane, president and chief executive officer of Cabot Corporation. “Demand for advanced batteries continues to expand across energy storage, electrification, and emerging AI-related infrastructure. By leveraging our existing manufacturing assets, we can efficiently expand our battery materials platform, strengthen our position in the North American battery ecosystem, and support our customers’ growth with localized supply.”
Investment outlook for Cabot
Cabot’s planned investments will support production of LITX® advanced battery-grade conductive carbons at its Franklin, Louisiana, 100 miles west of New Orleans, facility and establish the first commercial-scale production of carbon nanostructures (CNS), Cabot’s most advanced conductive additive technology and part of the ENERMAX® product family, at its Pampa, Texas, 55 miles northwest of Amarillo, facility. These conductive additives are designed to help improve battery performance and support the evolving needs of next-generation energy storage and electrification applications. Both projects are expected to be operational by the end of 2028.
“Cabot is a trusted partner and technology leader in conductive additives for the battery industry, delivering innovative solutions backed by a global manufacturing footprint and technical expertise,” said Keohane. “These investments reinforce our commitment to the North American battery market and position us to be a reliable, long-term supplier as our customers scale production. Together with our technology leadership, broad portfolio, and established customer relationships, we believe these investments will strengthen our competitive position globally and advance battery materials as an increasingly important growth platform for Cabot.”
