EnerVenue begins high-volume Aqueous Metal Cell production for Energy Storage in China. 24th September 2026 EnerVenue has started production at its high-volume manufacturing line for Aqueous Metal Cells (AMC) at its facility in Wujin, Changzhou, China. The company began construction of the facility in April, with the first conforming cell produced at the end of September. The first phase of the facility has an annual production capacity of 250 MWh, which is planned to increase to 1 GWh in 2027 and reach multi-gigawatt-hour capacity by 2028. The manufacturing line is expected to reach full production rates by November and, once fully automated, is designed to produce approximately 300 fourth-generation Aqueous Metal Cells per day. EnerVenue said the production equipment was specifically designed for its AMC technology, with the manufacturing process operating as a continuous flow from raw materials to finished cells. Automated guided vehicles transport cells between production stations, while automated systems are used for electrode stacking and fiberglass winding. Each cell undergoes 41 quality checks across 11 testing and measurement stations before leaving the facility. The checks are designed to verify parameters including weld integrity, leak tightness and performance. The company also tests fully commissioned 150 kWh battery racks at the site before shipment. The approximately 20,000-square-metre facility has provisions for a second phase of similar size. EnerVenue said standardized production stations will allow additional capacity to be added by replicating the manufacturing setup. Energy Storage Product Portfolio The AMC technology forms the basis of EnerVenue's energy storage product portfolio, including the 30 kWh Energy Core, 108 kWh Energy Cube, 150 kWh Energy Rack and Energy Prism containerized systems ranging from 600 kWh to 1 MWh. On September 23, EnerVenue announced its first signed multi-megawatt-hour commercial order, covering 26 Energy Prism containers with a combined capacity of 11 MWh for an oilfield company in northern China. The first containers are scheduled for shipment in December. During the facility's opening ceremony, EnerVenue also signed Memoranda of Understanding with companies including Towngas, Towngas Smart Energy, Shanghai Electric, Guangzhou Development Group, Jiangsu Huahong New Energy Development, PCG Power, Suzhou Yuanzhang New Energy Technology, Desert Technologies and KIOZ for potential future business opportunities. EnerVenue said its fourth-generation AMC cells are already operating at a project in Jintan, Changzhou, commissioned in November 2025 with Towngas. The project integrates onsite renewable energy generation with electric-bus charging. The company has also shipped cells to customers in the United States, Belgium and Saudi Arabia, with active projects and customer engagements across China, Australia, the U.S., the European Union, Saudi Arabia and Canada. Aqueous Metal Cell Technology EnerVenue's Aqueous Metal Cell uses a water-based nickel-hydrogen chemistry that the company has adapted for stationary energy storage applications. According to EnerVenue, the technology is designed for 30,000 charge cycles, with up to three cycles per day over a 30-year operating life. The company said the cells use a water-based, non-flammable electrolyte and do not contain lithium or rare earth materials. EnerVenue also states that nickel used in the cells can be recovered and reused at the end of their operating life. The company positions the technology for applications including commercial and industrial energy storage, data centres, grid-connected projects, UPS systems and sites where fire safety is a key consideration. Changzhou Manufacturing Base EnerVenue said the Changzhou facility is located within a major battery manufacturing ecosystem, with around 160 battery-industry companies operating in the city and a broad supply chain within a 50-100 kilometre radius. The company intends to use Changzhou as a model for its longer-term "local-for-local" manufacturing strategy, with the standardized production design intended to support replication in other markets. The Changzhou manufacturing line is being funded through EnerVenue's $300 million Series B extension announced in March 2026, led by Full Vision Capital. The company has raised more than $700 million to date.

EnerVenue opens China battery factory after abandoning $264M Kentucky plant. By Nileena Sunil September 22, 2026 3 Mins Read U.S. battery startup EnerVenue has opened a factory in China after abandoning plans to make Kentucky the site of its first manufacturing plant. The Changzhou facility began production as President Donald Trump met with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in Washington. Chief Executive Henning Rath told Reuters that the timing was a coincidence and that the decision to manufacture in China rather than the U.S. came down to skills and supply-chain depth, particularly in Changzhou, which bills itself as China's "new energy capital." "The secret sauce is this industrial cluster," Rath said, citing the density of hydraulics, pneumatics and automation specialists, as well as engineers able to quickly iterate on what he called a "first-of-its-kind" production line. Rath also said that without building in China, it would be "very difficult with the capital available" to prove the manufacturing process at commercial scale. When Rath joined the company in April, he made building in China a precondition for taking the job. EnerVenue's decision has been viewed by some as highlighting the challenges facing efforts to attract more manufacturing to the U.S. A floor manager at the Changzhou plant said local suppliers often develop equipment without payment until a design is adopted, unlike foreign vendors that tend to require upfront payment. Graduate engineers earn about 12,000 yuan ($1,792) a month, well below U.S. salaries, he added. EnerVenue, founded by Stanford materials science professor Yi Cui, makes nickel-hydrogen batteries derived from technology NASA used in the Hubble Space Telescope and International Space Station. In 2023, the company announced plans for a factory in Kentucky, with the first phase expected to cost $264 million and create 450 jobs. The plans were abandoned a year later. Rath said the Kentucky project was a "valuable learning experience," but the technology was not yet ready. According to Reuters, Rath declined to disclose the cost of the Changzhou facility, which is about 95% automated and is expected to employ about 400 workers by the end of the year. He gave an estimated cost range of $20 million to $50 million. Government support was limited to permitting, certification and site selection, Rath said. EnerVenue raised more than $300 million in a funding round in March. The round was led by Full Vision Capital, the family office of Hong Kong property heir Peter Lee Ka-kit, whose broader group includes customer Towngas, Rath said. Other investors included Saudi Aramco and SLB. Rath described EnerVenue as "an American company with a Chinese footprint." The company aims to reach annual production capacity of 250 megawatt-hours this year, equivalent to about 300 battery cells a day, and increase capacity to 1 gigawatt-hour by the third quarter of 2027. The company also plans to open similar factories in North America, the Middle East and Europe beginning in 2028, with sites expected to be selected next year, according to Rath. However, he emphasized that China is the "factory of factories" and "an important stepping stone" toward EnerVenue's global production.

US battery startup that chose China over Kentucky opens first factory as Trump, Xi meet. By David Kirton and Nicoco Chan Reuters Updated September 22, 2026 5:18 AM Gift Article CHANGZHOU, China, Sept 22 (Reuters) - A US battery startup that scrapped plans to make Kentucky the site of its first factory has instead built it in China, exposing the limits of President Donald Trump's efforts to lure manufacturing home just as he welcomes Chinese President Xi Jinping for a summit. EnerVenue starts mass production at its manufacturing facility in the eastern Chinese city of Changzhou on Thursday, the same day Trump meets Xi in Washington, as relations between the superpowers remain strained by a tariff war the US president launched partly to bring back manufacturing and jobs. Chief Executive Henning Rath told Reuters the date was a coincidence, and the decision to manufacture in China instead of the US was down to skills and supply chain depth - particularly in Changzhou, which bills itself as China's "new energy capital." "The secret sauce is this industrial cluster," Rath said, citing the density of hydraulics, pneumatics and automation specialists, along with engineers able to iterate quickly on what he called a "first-of-its-kind" line. Without building in China, Rath said, it would be "very difficult with the capital available" to prove the manufacturing process at a commercial scale. EnerVenue's choice exposes how Trump's offer of lower taxes, easier permitting and other incentives may not be enough to overcome the advantages offered by places like China, even in a sector viewed as critical to US energy security and supply-chain resilience. When Rath joined the company in April, he made building in China a precondition for taking the job. LOWER COSTS, DEEPER EXPERTISE A floor manager at the Changzhou plant said local suppliers often develop equipment without payment until a design is adopted, unlike foreign vendors that tend to ask for money upfront. Graduate engineers earn about 12,000 yuan ($1,792) a month, well below US salaries, he added. EnerVenue, which has R&D in Fremont, California, and was founded by Stanford materials science professor Yi Cui, makes nickel-hydrogen batteries derived from technology NASA used in the Hubble Space Telescope and International Space Station. It announced a Kentucky factory plan in 2023 with a first phase costing $264 million and creating 450 jobs, but abandoned it a year later. Rath, speaking as engineers tested spinning hydraulic arms and lidar-guided robots ferried materials between production stations, said the attempted project was a "valuable learning experience," but the technology wasn't yet ready. EnerVenue went on to redesign both the battery and the factory. EXPANSION PLANS Rath declined to disclose the cost of the Changzhou facility, which is around 95% automated and will employ about 400 workers by the end of the year, but gave a $20 million to $50 million range. Government support was limited to permitting, certification and site selection, he said. EnerVenue raised more than $300 million in a March funding round led by Full Vision Capital, the family office of Hong Kong property heir Peter Lee Ka-kit, whose broader group includes customer Towngas, Rath said, with other investors including Saudi Aramco and SLB. The company aims to reach annual capacity of 250 megawatt hours this year, equal to about 300 battery cells a day, rising to 1 gigawatt hours by the third quarter of 2027. It's unclear whether China-made cells will qualify for US clean energy tax credits, which Trump's 2025 tax law kept for battery storage while adding restrictions on Chinese content and ownership. "We are an American company with a Chinese footprint," Rath said. EnerVenue plans to open similar factories in North America, the Middle East and Europe from 2028, with sites to be chosen next year, said Rath. But he stressed that China is the "factory of factories" and "an important stepping stone" towards global production. Asked whether EnerVenue would open a US plant, Rath said, "We want to play in the North American market. It depends a little bit now on legislation and regulation." ($1 = 6.6955 Chinese yuan) (Editing by Marius Zaharia and Kevin Buckland) This story was originally published September 22, 2026 at 2:39 AM.