The News: Honeywell automation and process safety products are being integrated in prominent roles within a new lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery gigafactory that is slated for construction in Tucson, Arizona, for LFP maker American Battery Factory (ABF). The 2 million-square-foot factory, which will be the largest gigafactory facility to produce LFP battery cells in the US when it is completed, will produce LFP batteries that will be used by households, businesses, and utilities to store energy from solar power, the electrical grid, or other sources for later use. Read the full press release on the Honeywell press and media webpage.
Honeywell Automation Plays Key Roles in New LFP Battery Gigafactory
Analyst Take: The selection of Honeywell automation and process safety management applications and technologies for use in the planned new ABF LFP battery gigafactory is a wise move for the huge US-based factory in Tucson based on Honeywell’s trusted track record and innovation in business, manufacturing, and industrial sensors and controls. Honeywell components are being used around the world in factories, power facilities, laboratories, and everywhere in between, helping a diverse mix of customers in running their operations reliably and securely.
The use of Honeywell automation and controls products inside the complex ABF facility that will build LFP batteries will focus on critical manufacturing processes that must be carefully monitored. Honeywell’s products will provide central controls and digital visualization to increase operational efficiency, enhance safety, and drive more energy-efficient production within the factory. A groundbreaking ceremony for the start of construction for the new facility is scheduled for October 26.
I believe that this huge project will see major benefits from the Honeywell automation and controls products because they will deliver critical feedback about the operations and safety of this plant, giving operators more information in a timely manner to keep the facility operating at peak efficiency once it goes online. As Honeywell has proven in industrial and manufacturing facilities around the world in the past few decades, the use of Honeywell controls and monitoring equipment and applications means solid operations and efficient and safe production processes, which is just what ABF wants in its new gigafactory.
The Honeywell automation and controls products that will be used in the gigafactory, including Honeywell’s Manufacturing Excellence Platform (MXP), Experion Batch, Li-ion Tamer, and integrated operations center/remote operations center (IOC/ROC) platform, will enable ABF to optimize its manufacturing process and workflows in the new facility when it is completed. The Honeywell products will deliver visualizations and direct control over ABF’s battery production processes in real-time from the mixing of chemicals to parts coatings, battery assembly, and storage and distribution.
This visibility is especially important in an LFP battery plant because such facilities use hazardous chemicals in the production process, which produce harmful particles, vapors, and gases that must be carefully monitored and reported to keep workers safe within the facility. Lithium-ion batteries are also susceptible to fire due to their chemical makeup, so those potential issues will also be monitored for safety using the Honeywell controls.
The planned new gigafactory will be built on 267 acres in Pima County, Arizona, at the Aerospace Research Campus using a rapid modular construction process that is expected to have ABF’s headquarters, R&D center, and initial factory module built within 18 to 24 months, according to the company.
Honeywell Automation Will Drive Operating Efficiencies
Using the Honeywell automation and process safety applications, the ABF battery gigafactory is expected to streamline and improve the collection of operations data while pulling together insights about upcoming tasks and potential delays being faced by plant operators. This voluminous data is expected to streamline operations, reduce materials waste, and achieve more energy-efficient and cost-effective battery production.
The LFP batteries that will be manufactured will help to meet federal and state government climate change initiatives by using power that can be stored by businesses, factories, and residences for later consumption instead of being wasted.
The new ABF gigafactory in Tucson is planned to be the first of several such facilities to be built by the company across the US using Honeywell automation and process safety technologies.
Honeywell Automation and Process Safety: What It Means for ABF’s Gigafactory
As ABF prepares for the completion of its first US-based LFP battery gigafactory in Tucson over the next 2 years, its choice of Honeywell as the provider of the automation and process safety tools that will run the facility shows that ABF is serious about making the factory a state-of-the-art operation. I believe Honeywell is a notable selection that proves ABF’s commitment to ensuring that its facility will deliver on its goals and plans long into the future as growth in the LFP battery market grows in leaps and bounds.
I look forward with interest as ABF continues its plans for additional LFP battery gigafactories across the US and again integrates Honeywell automation and process safety management controls for those facilities as well. I believe this will be a good combination for both companies as they work together in the energy storage marketplace.
Disclosure: The Futurum Group is a research and advisory firm that engages or has engaged in research, analysis, and advisory services with many technology companies, including those mentioned in this article. The author does not hold any equity positions with any company mentioned in this article.
Analysis and opinions expressed herein are specific to the analyst individually and data and other information that might have been provided for validation, not those of The Futurum Group as a whole.
Other Insights from The Futurum Group:
Honeywell’s Ionic Energy Storage Getting Built-in Battery Management
Honeywell Revenue Hits $9.15 Billion in Q2, Raises FY2023 Guidance
