https://www.wbrc.com/2021/06/21/major-economic-announcement-coming-tuesday-iveys-office-touts/ Alabama nets first US graphite processing plant; critical for electric vehicle batteries By WSFA 12 News Staff Published: Jun. 21, 2021 at 4:27 PM UTC|Updated: 6 hours ago MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - Gov. Kay Ivey was joined by economic advisors and others Tuesday morning to make a major economic development announcement that will provide jobs and help the state’s booming automotive industry as it continues to shift toward electric vehicles. Ivey confirmed an agreement has been reached with Colorado-based Westwater Resources, Inc. and its subsidiary, Alabama Graphite Products, to bring a first-of-its-kind graphite processing plant to the state. It will be located in Coosa County and will create around 100 jobs the Tallapoosa and Coosa county areas that pay an average of $21.15 per hour. An initial investment of $80 million or more will be spent to build the plant in Kellyton, near Alexander City. A second phase of the project will push the total investment to $124 million. “This plant not only will make Alabama the U.S. leader in graphite production, the go-to place for this important resource in battery manufacturing, it also will elevate our standing even more as a major player in the fast-growing electric vehicle sector,” Gov. Ivey said. “We’re home to four major auto plants, and the ability to source precious materials in state for the lithium-ion batteries used in electric and hybrid vehicles will be a big plus in attracting other manufacturing jobs to the state.” Graphite, deemed critical to the nation’s economy and national security, is a key component in lithium-ion batteries, as well as a conductivity enhancer for all types of batteries, including the common lead-acid batteries in traditional vehicles. The US currently imports all of its graphite from other countries like China. “This is the first battery graphite processing facility of its kind anywhere,” said Chris Jones, the CEO of Westwater Resources and Alabama Graphite Products. “We are proud to bring it to Alabama.” Westwater Resources acquired mineral rights to 42,000 graphite-deposit-rich acres in 2018 and expects to begin mining operations by 2028. “Certainly the Alabama Graphite Belt played a role,” in bringing the facility to the state, but Jones added “it is the pro-business environment and the commitment to growing the state’s economy and creating jobs here in Alabama that made the difference.” The CEO pledged “one of our core values is safety. We’re protective of our workers, the community and the environment.” The state’s agreement, signed by the governor, will provide Alabama Graphite Products jobs and tax credits under the Alabama Jobs Act totaling an estimated $29.9 million over 15 years. In addition, AIDT, the state’s primary workforce development agency, is providing Alabama Graphite Products $925,000 in job-training and employee recruitment incentives. Local incentives for the project, estimated to total approximately $4.7 million, are expected to include tax abatements and use of 80 acres at Lake Martin Industrial Park at no cost. In addition, a bridge will be built to provide additional access to the industrial park. As part of the project, water and wastewater treatment will be provided by Alexander City. To support this effort, Alabama Graphite Products has entered into a public-private partnership to upgrade Alexander City’s wastewater treatment system with a contribution of $400,000 and prepayment of $100,000 in treatment fees. Alabama Graphite’s processing plant will produce approximately 7,500 tons of battery-grade graphite a year initially, eventually expanding to 15,000. The battery in an average EV needs about 175-200 pounds of graphite. Ford’s new electric F-150 truck, the Lightning, is expected to need roughly 450 pounds of graphite. Construction will start later in 2021 with the plant becoming operational by the end of 2022. Copyright 2021 WSFA 12 News. All rights reserved.
https://www.wbrc.com/2021/06/22/new-processing-plant-coming-coosa-county-will-bring-least-100-jobs/ By WBRC Staff Updated: 6 hours ago COOSA Co., Ala. (WBRC) - Alabama Graphite Products, LLC will build a first-of-its-kind, advanced graphite processing plant in Coosa County which will employ at least 100 people. The Lake Martin Area Economic Development Alliance, Coosa County and the City of Alexander City, Governor Kay Ivey, and Alabama Secretary of Commerce Greg Canfield announced the location of Alabama Graphite Products, LLC to the Lake Martin Regional Industrial Park in Coosa County Tuesday. Alabama Graphite plans to invest $124 million in constructing and equipping the graphite processing facility. Construction is expected to begin later this year, with the plant operating by the end of 2022. The facility is expected to employ at least 100 full-time, permanent workers, with hourly wages averaging $21.15. The Alabama Graphite Products graphite processing plant will use 80 acres within the Lake Martin Regional Industrial Park. The park is located on Highway 280 near Kellyton in Coosa County, approximately six miles west of Alexander City. According to Lake Martin Area Economic Development Alliance Executive Director, Chad Odom; the investment is paying off. “This announcement represents an opportunity for the Lake Martin Area to grow in meaningful ways”, stated Odom. “The impact of an industrial project that changes wage dynamics, supports expansion of critical infrastructure, and gives a foothold into next generation technology sectors is hard to properly quantify. We get the tangible benefit of expanding Alexander City services in a substantial manner that are paid for by a single user. The Coosa road and bridge commitment along with the wastewater run also open up the Lake Martin Regional Industrial Park to aggressively market 200 acres that previously were unmarketable as an industrial site. This industrial expansion will provide decades of growth in commercial, industrial, and residential development along the 280 corridor that otherwise would not have been possible. The benefits of this will be seen directly by Coosa and Tallapoosa County along with the Town of Kellyton and the City of Alexander City. The indirect benefits will lift all boats for our other municipalities in the Lake Martin Area by positively affecting the wage dynamics for our workforce.” “A huge selling point from the onset of courting this prospect was the dynamic workforce training offered by Central Alabama Community College,” continued Odom. “President Lynn was hands on in partnering with us to pitch these capabilities with our first impression to C- level leadership. This put us in the pole position, and we went wire to wire for the win. They say first impressions are invaluable and without the partnership of CACC I’m not sure we would have succeeded.” Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed an incentives agreement in a signing ceremony in Montgomery. “We are excited to welcome Alabama Graphite Products to our County and look forward to a long-term partnership ensuring their success,” Bertha McElrath, Vice Chair of the Coosa County Commission, said in a statement. “This announcement is not only a great opportunity for job expansion in our area, but with wages averaging $21.15 per hour it also provides a much-needed boost to area workers.” Copyright 2021 WBRC. All rights reserved.
NEVER FORGET NUMBER 12 ADVICE FOR ANYONE MOVING TO ALABAMA: 1. Save all bacon grease. You will be instructed later how to use it. 2. If you do run your car into a ditch, don't panic. Four men in the cab of a four wheel drive with a 12-pack of beer and a tow chain will be along shortly. Don't try to help them. Just stay out of their way. This is what they live for. 3. Remember: "Y'all" is singular. "All y'all" is plural. "All y'all's" is plural possessive. 4. Get used to the phrase "It's not the heat, it's the humidity". And the collateral phrase "You call this hot? Wait'll August." 5. Don't tell us how you did it up there. Nobody cares. 6. If you think it's too hot, don't worry. It'll cool down-in December. 7. A Mercedes-Benz is not a status symbol, a Chevy, Dodge, or Ford is. 8. If someone says they're "fixin" to do something, that doesn't mean anything's broken. 9. The value of a parking space is not determined by the distance to the door, but the availability of shade. 10. If you are driving a slower moving vehicle, on a two lane road pull onto the shoulder that is called "courtesy". 11. BBQ is a food group. It does NOT mean grilling burgers and hot dogs outdoors. 12. Yes, weddings, funerals, and divorces must take into account for Alabama and Auburn Football games. 13. Everything is better with Ranch, or Hot sauce, or BBQ sauce. 14. DO NOT honk your horn at us to be obnoxious, we will sit there until we die. 15. We pull over and stop for emergency vehicles to pass. 16. We pull over for funeral processions, turn our music off and men remove hats or caps. Some people put their hand over their heart. 17. "Bless your Heart" is a nice way of saying you're an idiot. 18. No mater what kind : sprite, coke, pepsi, mtn dew, it isn't called soda or pop. It is all called coke or drank! 19. There will always be a tractor on the two lane road when you are running late, so allow time for that. 20. If you don't like the weather in Alabama, wait 15 minutes, it will change.
That's great! Got several laughs out of it. I already save my bacon grease, lol. I thought "pop" was a universal southern thing although IIRC, Birmingham was the 1st place Coke was ever bottled. I can't imagine living in that humidity. I love the south but it's bad enough here in MD. Congrats to AL for landing this new plant. We can make stuff here. I'll stop there before I get banned, lol.
...doesn't everyone, what else would one possibly fry with, and it's great in Taco Tuesday's black beans too... ...yes it is. From around DC down originally swampland, and Appalachians deflect west winds up over, sucking moisture in from coast. Wife is from FL gulf coast, and had quite a surprise when first moved here...
Super! That's going to be big! "Graphite is commonly used as the active material in negative electrodes mainly because it can reversibly place Lithium-ions between its many layers. This reversible electrochemical capability is maintained over several of thousands of cycles in batteries with optimized electrodes."
I like number nine. It is very important! I will park at the far end of a parking lot just to be under a shade tree. These crazy people in Virginia don’t seem to put trees in their parking lot. I thought Virginia was part of the south? Apparently not
I do love that the bacon grease is #1. I had a roommate years ago whose people were from West Virginia. He introduced me to this idea (ie bacon dressing). Both his parents died of heart disease in their early 60's.
