The Wisconsin-based company, which was supposed to use hemp to manufacture new batteries of a higher generation has apparently failed.
We reported last year that Wisconsin Battery Co., based in Portage, Wisconsin (WinBat), was working with University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on new battery technologies. This included creating hemp-carbon batteries for electronic, automotive and tool devices. The company announced at that time it was receiving a US $5 million investment by the South Africa-based Infinite Power Systems.
Winbat was given the opportunity to purchase 17 acres in Portage Industrial Park, which would include a battery-recycling plant that would use solar power. The initial hires were expected to begin in 2024 with more staff coming on board in November 2018. It was a very good news announcement for local residents who were devastated by the job losses of many Energizer workers in the Portage area when the Portage plant was closed last year.
Production will begin this year, according to the CEO. WinBat missed out on an important $50 million U.S. Department of Energy award, which was a signal of things looking grim. It appears now that the Portage project and another in Fennimore have come to a standstill.
It is important to note that the word “you” means “you”. Telegraph Herald reports The company is “off the map”, and the website has been taken down. WinBat and the CEO parted ways in June. Wisconsin Battery Co. hasn’t been in touch with the Portage director of Business Development and Planning for several months. While early infrastructure was built on site, the company did not contact him. While it may have been a disappointment to the community in Portage, the director of business development and planning for the city did not hear from Wisconsin Battery Co. since the last few months.
The project was disappointing to all involved, but it did bring attention to the many uses for hemp.