LG Energy Solution to invest US$5.5B to build gigafactory complex in Arizona; cylindrical and pouch

LG Energy Solution will invest approximately KRW 7.2 trillion (US$5.5 billion) to construct a battery manufacturing complex in Queen Creek, Arizona. The complex will consist of two manufacturing facilities—one for cylindrical batteries for electric vehicles (EV) and another for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) pouch-type batteries for energy storage systems (ESS).

The initiative marks the largest single investment yet for a stand-alone battery manufacturing facility in North America; it is also more than four times the amount the company initially announced last year (KRW 1.7 trillion / US$1.3 billion) to manufacture cylindrical EV batteries in the same location.

Out of the total, LGES plans to invest KRW 4.2 trillion (US$3.2 billion) in building cylindrical battery manufacturing facility with a capacity of 27GWh, and KRW 3 trillion (US$2.3 billion) in LFP pouch-type battery facility with the capacity of 16GWh. Both facilities, totaling 43GWh, plan to break ground this year.

With the new battery manufacturing complex in the southwestern state, LGES will boost its production capacity in major product segments, develop more cohesive partnerships with its customers in both EV and ESS sectors, and cut back on the logistics cost by bringing its new manufacturing facilities in close proximity to its customers.

The new cylindrical battery manufacturing facility aims to start mass production of 2170 cells in 2025, mainly for EV makers in North America. It is the first US cylindrical battery manufacturing facility solely invested by a Korean battery manufacturer. The company’s decision to increase investment in cylindrical EV battery production in North America comes from rising demand from EV makers for locally manufactured high-quality, high-performance batteries in an effort to satisfy the “Inflation Reduction Act” (IRA)’s EV tax credits.

The new manufacturing facility for LFP pouch-type batteries for ESS, which is the first ESS-exclusive battery production facility in the world, aims to start production in 2026. With LG Energy Solution Vertech’s fully integrated energy storage solutions, LGES will further expand its presence in the entire ESS value chain.

The company’s new manufacturing facilities will utilize a smart factory system that carries out all decision making on machine-produced data. By implementing this key measure to enhance product quality, the Arizona facilities will aim to increase yield, improve manufacturing processes, and boost productivity to better respond to the ever-rising battery demands in the region.