A Wisconsin company that was to utilise hemp in the manufacture of new generation batteries appears to have gone belly-up.
Last year we reported Portage-based Wisconsin Battery Co. (WinBat) was collaborating with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to develop new battery technologies, including creating hemp carbon batteries for automotive, tools and electronic devices. At that point, it had announced it had announced an investment of USD $5 million from South Africa-based private equity fund Infinite Power Systems (IPS).
Winbat had been given the option buy 17 acres of land in the Portage Industrial Park for its manufacturing facility that would have included a battery recycling plant and would be partially powered by solar energy. The company was reportedly gearing up for hiring for initial positions in July 2024, with additional staff to be brought on in November last year. The announcement was seen as very positive news for the local community that was reeling from the many local Energizer employees who lost their jobs when the decision was made last year to shutter Energizer’s Portage facility.
The company’s CEO expected to be ready with prototypes in the fourth quarter of 2024, with production to commence this year. A signal that things looked grim was WinBat missing out on a crucial $50 million U.S. Department of Energy grant. Now it appears that progress on the project in Portage, and another facility in Fennimore has ground to a halt.
The Telegraph Herald reports the company has “dropped off the map”, including the the company’s website being out of action. The CEO’s association with WinBat apparently ended in June. While some early infrastructure work was done on the Portage site, the director of business development and planning for the city of Portage has not heard from Wisconsin Battery Co. in recent months. It might be a major disappointment for the local community, but it’s an ill-wind that blows nobody any good as the works already done on the city-owned site by the company have improved its value.
While disappointing for all affected, the project did help put a spotlight on the myriad uses of hemp.
