Sila lands $1.4B Pentagon loan as militaries demand more batteries

Sila 获得五角大楼 14 亿美元贷款，以满足军方对电池日益增长的需求

Sila has landed a $1.4 billion loan from the U.S. Department of Defense to help the U.S.-based startup expand production of its silicon-carbon battery material. The loan, which was announced Friday, arrives as U.S. battery buyers, from automotive companies to defense contractors, struggle to procure battery materials that are made outside of China.

Sila 已获得美国国防部 14 亿美元的贷款，旨在帮助这家总部位于美国的初创公司扩大其硅碳电池材料的生产规模。这笔贷款于周五宣布，正值美国电池买家（从汽车公司到国防承包商）难以采购中国以外生产的电池材料之际。

Most of today’s lithium-ion battery anodes use graphite, and the supply chain for the material is dominated by Chinese companies. Many companies, including Group14 and Amprius, are pursuing silicon anodes. The material promises to store 20% to 40% more electricity than graphite anodes. The improved energy density could pave the way for longer-lasting cells or smaller, lighter batteries. Both are appealing traits for defense and mobility applications, including drones and EVs.

目前大多数锂离子电池负极使用石墨，而该材料的供应链主要由中国公司主导。包括 Group14 和 Amprius 在内的许多公司正在研发硅负极。这种材料有望比石墨负极多储存 20% 到 40% 的电量。能量密度的提升有望为更持久的电芯或更小、更轻的电池铺平道路。对于无人机和电动汽车等国防和移动应用而言，这些都是极具吸引力的特性。

Sila makes its silicon-carbon material at its factory in Moses Lake, Washington, making it one of the few sources of anode material that isn’t encumbered by tariffs or geopolitical concerns. The factory began operating in September and, at its current size, can produce about 2 gigawatt-hours of anode material annually. Sila is working to expand its Moses Lake factory fivefold, allowing it to produce enough material for more than 100,000 EVs.

Sila 在华盛顿州摩西湖（Moses Lake）的工厂生产其硅碳材料，使其成为少数不受关税或地缘政治问题困扰的负极材料来源之一。该工厂于 9 月开始运营，按目前规模，每年可生产约 2 吉瓦时的负极材料。Sila 正致力于将其摩西湖工厂的产能扩大五倍，从而能够为超过 10 万辆电动汽车提供足够的材料。

In July, Sila raised $300 million to help fund the factory expansion. Atreides Management and Sutter Hill Ventures led the round. To date, Sila has raised more than $1.5 billion from private investors, according to PitchBook. Sila has already lined up deals with Mercedes and Panasonic. The new loan from the Pentagon could open the door to contracts with defense companies, which have been landing massive deals as wars in Iran and Ukraine drag on.

今年 7 月，Sila 筹集了 3 亿美元资金，用于资助工厂扩建。此轮融资由 Atreides Management 和 Sutter Hill Ventures 领投。据 PitchBook 数据显示，迄今为止，Sila 已从私人投资者处筹集了超过 15 亿美元。Sila 此前已与梅赛德斯（Mercedes）和松下（Panasonic）达成合作。五角大楼的新贷款可能会为其打开与国防公司签订合同的大门，随着伊朗和乌克兰战争的持续，这些国防公司正获得大量订单。

Alongside the loan to Sila, the Department of Defense also announced deals with three other companies: Sunrise Energy Metals, an Australian company, will receive a $400 million loan to mine scandium, a rare earth element that’s widely used in lightweight alloys. Niron Magnetics, a Minnesota-based company, landed a $150 million loan to manufacture new rare earth-free magnets for smartphones, missiles, and electric motors. Strategic Bauxite, which mines a mineral that contains aluminum, received an $85 million equity investment from the government.

除了向 Sila 提供贷款外，国防部还宣布了与其他三家公司的协议：澳大利亚公司 Sunrise Energy Metals 将获得 4 亿美元贷款，用于开采钪（一种广泛用于轻质合金的稀土元素）；总部位于明尼苏达州的 Niron Magnetics 获得了 1.5 亿美元贷款，用于制造可用于智能手机、导弹和电动机的新型无稀土磁体；开采含铝矿物的 Strategic Bauxite 公司则获得了政府 8500 万美元的股权投资。