Office of Strategic Capital Signs $250 Million Conditional Loan Commitment With 6K to Scale U.S. Battery Cathode Production in Tennessee
The U.S. Department of War's Office of Strategic Capital (OSC) announced on November 5 a $250 million conditional loan commitment with 6K, Inc., to scale the company's domestic production of nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) cathode active material in Jackson, Tennessee. The department said OSC's investment would catalyze an additional $250 million in private capital.
6K is an advanced materials company focused on critical energy and aerospace technologies. Its proprietary UniMelt microwave plasma technology synthesizes finished, single-crystal NMC cathode powders in a single step. The department said the direct-to-cathode approach bypasses the foreign-dominated precursor processing stage entirely, reducing production cycle times by up to tenfold while driving down capital intensity and environmental impact.
The expansion centers on the company's PlusCAM facility in Jackson, Tennessee. The department said the battery components are vital for next-generation defense platforms, uncrewed aerial systems, tactical communications and critical energy infrastructure, and that because of price flooding from foreign countries, the United States currently produces less than 1 percent of its NMC cathode needs domestically.
"OSC champions the domestic production of critical battery materials. 6K's microwave plasma technology represents a ground-breaking approach to establish a cost-effective domestic supply chain and break our reliance on foreign adversaries," said David A. Lorch, Director of the Office of Strategic Capital and Senior Advisor to Deputy Secretary of War Steve Feinberg.
James R. Shanahan, OSC's Senior Managing Director for Investments, said OSC financing is focused on bridging the commercialization gap for homegrown technology with long-term, patient capital. Emil Michael, Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering, said: "We cannot dominate the modern battlefield if we rely on foreign supply chains. Securing advanced materials is critical, and this OSC financing secures the trusted, domestic battery supply needed to protect our national security."
The department said the commitment advances Executive Order 14154, "Unleashing American Energy," and the President's national security priorities to revitalize the American defense industrial base and onshore critical technologies. The conditional commitment sets out customary additional steps 6K must take to proceed toward financial close, including financial, investment, legal, technical and diligence requirements. Once complete, the supply chain would be NDAA-compliant, serving the Department of War and commercial markets.
(Source: U.S. Department of War)
Source: U.S. Department of War
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：田纳西州Jackson市中心历史街区，6K公司PlusCAM工厂扩产所在地。Thomas R Machnitzki 摄，CC BY-SA 3.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: The downtown historic district of Jackson, Tennessee, where 6K's PlusCAM facility will expand. Photo by Thomas R Machnitzki, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
