U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito is astounded by the changes seen in north Weirton in the last few years
Capito, R-W.Va., was in the city Monday to visit Form Factory 1, receiving a tour and update on development of the facility constructed to manufacture iron-air batteries on property once used in the making of steel. It was part of a series of stops in the Northern Panhandle.
“What a great investment,” she said of the facility which has been under construction for the last year. “It’s such an uplifting feeling.”
As part of the tour, Capito was able to see and learn about the engineering, testing and assembly of the batteries developed by Form Energy, which are designed to provide 100 hours of power storage, as well as its quality control procedures.
According to Mateo Jaramillo, CEO and co-founder of Form Energy, much of the primary construction on the first phase of Form Factory 1 is complete, and “dress rehearsals” are ongoing as the company has begun to bring manufacturing personnel on site to begin early-stage building of the battery components.
“It is reaching that stage of maturity,” he said, adding production will be ramping up through the rest of the year.
The company previously announced plans to begin an expansion of Form Factory 1 sometime in 2025, allowing for increased production and the need for increased employment. The announced goal of Form Energy is to have approximately 750 employees located in Weirton.
Jaramillo offered his appreciation to Capito, as well as to state and local officials and the people of Weirton, saying the assistance over the last year has helped in the drive to get Form Factory 1 up and running.
“We wouldn’t be able to do that without the support of the community,” Jaramillo said.
Even while under construction, Form Energy has been taking orders for its batteries from companies and utility providers across the country.
“The product is selling itself in many ways,” Capito said. “It will be really interesting to see.”
Of particular note was the different facets of manufacturing at Form Energy, which she said uses more aspects of robotics and artificial intelligence than in the facilities residents of the area are used to. She said the work being done by Form Energy can serve as an example for other existing and future manufacturers in the state and beyond.
By embracing new technological capabilities made possible by Form Energy, West Virginia will continue to be an energy state well into the future,” Capito said.
In addition to her visit in Weirton, Capito also had stops in Wheeling where she met with representatives of the Regional Economic Development Partnership and Wellsburg where a discussion was held on the use of Congressionally Directed Spending funds recently announced for the community.