KEY POINTS
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Microporous has secured full financing for a new lithium-ion battery separator manufacturing facility in Danville, Virginia, moving the project from planning into construction and expanding U.S. battery supply chain capacity.
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At full capacity, the Danville plant is expected to support roughly 65 GWh of lithium-ion battery production annually, serving automotive, industrial, and grid-scale energy storage markets.
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Construction is expected to begin in May 2026, creating new opportunities for general contractors and trades in the South Atlantic “battery belt,” according to a company statement April 30, 2026.
Microporous, a global manufacturer of advanced battery separators, announced that it has secured final financing to begin construction on a new plant in Danville, Virginia.
The facility is expected to support roughly 65 GWh of annual lithium-ion battery production and strengthen U.S. energy storage supply chains, according to a company statement April 30, 2026.
Separator Plant Manufactures Essential Components
Separators are an essential component that performs as a physical divider in battery cells. According to ScienceInsights, a battery separator is a thin, porous barrier that physically keeps a cell’s two electrodes from touching while still letting ions move between them.
Without this single layer, batteries in everything from phones to cars would quickly short-circuit and could catch fire.
North American factories that make batteries cannot ramp up production without reliable, local sources of separators. Against this backdrop, Microporous’ decision to move ahead with construction in Danville, Virginia signals continued investment in the “battery belt” and sets up potential sitework, structural, mechanical, and other contractor work in the region.
What Microporous is Building
The Danville plant will produce battery separators for lithium-ion batteries and, at full production, is expected to support approximately 65 GWh of annual battery production across multiple end markets.
The company already operates battery separator production facilities in Piney Flats, Tennessee, and Feistritz, Austria. Danville will expand its manufacturing footprint while anchoring more of its lithium-ion separator production inside the United States.
Each added domestic separator line reduces schedule risk for downstream energy cell plants and the industrial and infrastructure projects that rely on them, like energy storage solutions.
[Read U.S. Energy Storage Market Surges as 58 GWh Added in 2025: Report]
In announcing the financing, Microporous CEO John Reeves called the funding “a pivotal milestone” as the company “moves from planning into execution,” emphasizing that the expansion will “strengthen [Microporous’] ability to deliver high-performance separator solutions for the lithium-ion battery market.
A rendering of the planned Microporous battery separator plant in Danville, Virginia. The facility is expected to support roughly 65 GWh of annual lithium-ion battery production and strengthen U.S. energy storage supply chains, according to a company statement April 30, 2026. Image: Microporous
Announced Construction Start
Microporous stated that construction is expected to begin in May 2026, with additionalproject details to be shared as development progresses, according to a company statement.
While the release does not include a completion date, the combination of process-intensive manufacturing, specialized equipment, and clean-production requirements points to a multi-phase build.
Danville’s location in southern Virginia puts Microporous within a day’s drive of existing and announced battery plants, creating logistics opportunities and likely demand for contractors with experience in clean manufacturing, chemical processing, and battery-related facilities.
Who is Funding the Project
The final funding package is being provided by Trent Capital Partners, Eagle Point Credit Management LLC, and Elda River Capital Management, LLC, according to the company statement.
Eagle Point’s infrastructure credit platform focuses on supply-chain resilience in the energy ecosystem, and the firm highlighted Microporous’ “deep operating history” and “established market position” as reasons for backing the project.
Trent Capital Partners described the Danville plant as a “significant augmentation” of Microporous’ existing lithium-ion separator capacity in Piney Flats, Tennessee, positioning the company “to serve this exploding market for years to come.”
Microporous is a global manufacturer of advanced battery separators serving automotive, industrial, and energy storage markets, with existing plants in Piney Flats, Tennessee, and Feistritz, Austria.
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