The electronic age is creating a new industrial revolution.
New Orleans East is now a player in the race to build a better rechargeable battery.
Tuesday, city leaders cut the ribbon on the new Advano facility in the east.
The company is developing a “more efficient” lithium-ion battery at an industrial park across the street from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Center.
“This is what’s exciting because we can actually leapfrog this marketplace and lead in battery technology,” Advano CEO Chris York said.
York said the process involves replacing the graphite in the core of today’s batteries produced in China with a silicon carbon composite.
York claims his battery can hold a longer charge, while requiring less time to charge up.
The first target is to develop the technology for electric vehicles, then expand into products such as cellphones, smartwatches, and computers.
“We plan to be one of the top three players in this marketplace to advance to the next level of battery range and development,” York said.
To be successful, Advano will need to take a procedure, originally developed at Tulane University, and repurpose it for creating battery materials.
Mayor Latoya Cantrell called Advano, not only the next generation of rechargeable batteries, but high-tech jobs as well.
“The future is right here and right here in the city of New Orleans,” Cantrell said.
While Advano is a pilot program, New Orleans leaders are hoping that one day New Orleans East can become a hub for this type of advanced energy technology.
“I’m just happy that we’re in New Orleans East and that we’re in New Orleans,” City Councilman Oliver Thomas said. “This is something we can be proud of.”
Right now, Advano has 15 employees in New Orleans.
The company would like to increase that number to 50 by the end of next year.
If Advano is able to scale up its operation, CEO York said that could eventually mean up to 300 well-paying jobs for the region.