Cirba Solutions, a Charlotte, North Carolina-based battery materials company, has selected Jacobs to manage facility design and support construction on its $200 million lithium-ion processing site expansion in Lancaster, Ohio, according to a press release.
The award means Jacobs continues to build on its vehicle manufacturing, transit decarbonization, power generation and supply project work. Its CEO, Bob Pragada, pinpointed advanced facility projects like EV manufacturing plants as a specific target sector for growth in the company’s earnings call earlier this month.
The Dallas-based company recently spun off its Critical Missions Solutions business, the segment focused on government services, national security, nuclear remediation and 5G technology work, into an independent company. Going forward, Jacobs will solely focus on critical infrastructure, advanced facilities, such as the Cirba Solutions expansion, and sustainability projects, said Pragada.
Electric and hybrid vehicles will represent about 52% of total U.S. car sales by 2030, according to a Cirba Solutions press release. Federal funding and tax credits, such as from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Act, will further boost that shift to increased EV manufacturing, charging and power infrastructure projects.
For example, the Department of Energy awarded over $82 million in grants to the Lancaster site expansion project, according to Jacobs.
Jacobs has an ongoing contract with Cirba Solutions that includes additional work on the battery material company’s other locations across North America, according to the release. Cirba Solutions currently operates six facilities and plans to expand to 13 sites before 2030.