Mentioned:Pacific Northwest National LaboratoryOak Ridge National LaboratoryAmprius TechnologiesBadland Batteries
The U.S. Department of Energy announced the Battery Manufacturing Accelerator (BattMan) consortium on October 28, led by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The effort will use artificial intelligence and automated systems to reduce electrode production waste from 40% to below 5% and accelerate commercialization of advanced batteries for drones and defense.
What's happening
- DOE launched BattMan with 4 national laboratories and 5 universities to improve domestic battery manufacturing for defense and drone applications.
- The consortium will conduct research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Battery Manufacturing Facility in Tennessee.
- Electrode manufacturing currently generates scrap rates as high as 40%; researchers target reduction to less than 5% using automated process controls and real-time monitoring.
- BattMan will examine conventional lithium-ion batteries and emerging battery technologies to move innovations from laboratory development into commercial production.
Why it matters
- Domestic battery production capacity is limited; the consortium addresses a critical supply-chain bottleneck for U.S. drone manufacturers competing against established overseas suppliers.
- Reducing electrode waste from 40% to below 5% lowers manufacturing costs and improves consistency, making domestic production more competitive on price and quality.
- The initiative supports federal efforts to reduce dependence on imported drone components and strengthen the domestic defense industrial base for unmanned systems.
- Advanced battery technologies require manufacturing scale and efficiency to transition from research to commercial deployment; BattMan accelerates this pathway.
Going deeper
- The consortium will use artificial intelligence, advanced sensors, and automated manufacturing systems to detect production problems and adjust processes in real time.
- Related efforts include Amprius Technologies' award of up to 75 million dollars in September for domestic drone battery manufacturing with an annual capacity target of 12 million cells, and Badland Batteries' October facility opening in Fargo, North Dakota for defense and drone battery production.
The fine print
- The consortium has not announced a timeline for commercial production or identified specific drone manufacturers as partners.
- Funding amount for BattMan was not disclosed.
- Research will examine both conventional and emerging battery technologies; commercialization pathway varies by technology maturity.
Source: DroneLife · Oct 28, 2026 · Drafted with Claude, reviewed by Industrial Base Alpha.
