Fortescue launches US manufacturing plant in Detroit making high-voltage 34 kWh battery packs

Fortescue Zero, the company’s technology arm, said it will begin operations at its 38,000-square-metre Advanced Manufacturing Centre in the U.S. state of Michigan by producing battery packs that leverage its scalable battery module (SBM) technology.

Fortescue senior battery integration engineer Samuel Dew said the SBM is a flexible and easily scalable solution that will underpin multiple standardised and customised battery packs for customers across multiple sectors.

“We’ve developed the scalable battery module to be used in a wide range of applications, in sectors from automotive to marine to static storage,” he said.

“The scalable battery module uses our patent-pending technology Sense Chain in order to allow us to create a wide variety of battery packs from one building block. This Lego brick approach to battery design allows us to electrify faster, accelerating us towards a decarbonised world.”

Marine first, wider uses next

The first of the battery packs has been designed for marine company Evoa which will use it to power a range of vessels, including wake boats and tenders. The battery pack will deliver 30 kWh to 34 kWh and has been engineered to support the company’s electric powertrain which is capable of delivery up to 1,000 horsepower.

Fortescue said the lightweight battery, which can be recharged in less than 30 minutes, can be configured as a multi-pack power system comprising up to six subpacks, providing the flexibility to support small and larger vessels.

Production of the marine battery packs is expected to get underway at Fortescue’s Advanced Manufacturing Centre from the fourth quarter of 2025.

Fortescue Energy Chief Executive Officer Mark Hutchinson said the Detroit facility has been designed to allow for significant manufacturing capacity to provide solutions for customers in a wide range of applications with the facility scheduled to be operating at full capacity by 2030.

Hutchinson said the plant is set to become a major hub for Fortescue’s production of batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) and heavy industry, fast chargers, and electrolysers.

Fortescue Energy Chief Executive Officer Mark Hutchinson said the 38,000-square-metre facility in Detroit will be more than marine batteries.

“The marine battery packs we have designed and will manufacture for Evoa in Detroit is just the beginning of what is possible with the technology we have created,” hesaid.

“Our scalable battery module product is flexible and adaptable for a range of products and markets. We’ve pushed innovation and engineering to the limit everywhere from racetracks to mine sites and now our customers get to see the benefits of our real-world experience and get a neat solution for their battery needs that helps minimise investment and risk in their design and development program.”