As AI data centers keep raising requirements for high power, long-duration operation and safety, solid-state battery developers are seeking to expand their technology applications beyond new energy vehicles into data centers, aerospace, defense and other sectors.

Recently, US solid-state battery firm QuantumScape (QS) announced plans to build a 100 MWh solid-state battery production line. It has partnered with German automation and manufacturing technology provider Muehlbauer Group, which will supply cell assembly equipment and manufacturing technical support. Cell production at the new line is scheduled to kick off in 2028.

According to QS, the company is currently validating the scalable manufacturing capability of its solid-state batteries via its Eagle Line pilot production line in San Jose, California. Muehlbauer has assessed the production workflow of the Eagle Line and proposed process upgrades for mass production. The two parties are now advancing the engineering design of manufacturing processes and equipment for higher-capacity output.

QS officially commissioned the Eagle Line pilot line this February. Integrating equipment, materials and automated processes, the line adopts the company’s proprietary Cobra process to produce solid-state battery separators. It is mainly used for customer sampling, testing, validation and product integration.

The planned 100 MWh line will further expand QS’s cell manufacturing capacity and lay a production foundation for its solid-state battery technology to enter data center, aerospace, defense and other markets. That said, the announcement remains a construction plan at this stage; subsequent ramp-up and commercialization progress remain to be seen.

Prior to unveiling the new production line, QS had already made inroads into the energy storage market for AI data centers. On October 8, QS launched the QS PowerBlock for AI data centers, an in-rack energy storage system. The company states that the product delivers higher power density and extended runtime to meet the demand for high-power power supply and energy storage in advanced AI data centers.

Powered by QS’s solid-state battery technology, the product is designed to enhance the safety and space efficiency of energy storage systems, the firm added. QS also noted that the related cells demonstrated favorable stability under high-temperature tests. Even so, real-world performance, customer adoption and the scale of commercial deployment still require further verification.

Source：EnergyTrend