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A123Systems Inc., the Watertown maker of lithium ion batteries, will receive $249.1 million in U.S. Department of Energy funding to construct a manufacturing plant to build and package batteries for electric vehicles.
The company, as well as three other New England companies, were among the recipients of the $2.4 billion in grants awarded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act announced Wednesday morning in various cities across the U.S. The grants will fund development of advanced battery and electric drive components manufactured primarily for electric vehicles and transportation.
A123 President and CEO David Vieau attended the announcement ceremony with Vice President Joe Biden in Detroit,where the company plans to build its manufacturing plant.
“This grant is another exciting step towards creating an American battery infrastructure, which may reduce our dependence on foreign oil and increase our nation’s energy security,” Vieau said in a statement.
The company was looking for up to $1.8 billion in support from the federal government, although it was not immediately clear whether the company will qualify for additional funding.
Other regional award winners include:
H&T Waterbury Inc. of Waterbury, Conn., which will receive $5 million to manufacture aluminum casings for cylindrical battery cells.
SBE Inc. of Barre, Vt., which will receive $9.1 million to outfit a manufacturing plant to build direct current bus capacitors for electric vehicle drivetrain systems.
National Fire Protection Association of Quincy, which will receive $4.4 million to train emergency responders on putting out electrical fires in vehicles.
View the full list of award recipients.
One company missing from the list was Westborough-based lithium ion battery maker Boston-Power Inc. The company applied for up to $100 million in grants to build a battery manufacturing facility in Auburn, which would make transportation batteries as well as batteries for portable electronics. The company did not immediately return calls.
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