战争部战略资本办公室与6K签署2.5亿美元有条件贷款承诺：田纳西州扩大电池正极材料国产产能
美国战争部战略资本办公室（OSC）11月5日宣布，与先进材料企业6K公司签署2.5亿美元有条件贷款承诺，支持其扩大在田纳西州Jackson的镍锰钴（NMC）正极活性材料国产产能。战争部表示，这笔投资预计将另外带动2.5亿美元私人资本。
6K是一家专注于关键能源与航空航天技术的先进材料企业，其专有的UniMelt微波等离子体技术可在单一步骤中合成成品单晶NMC正极粉末。战争部称，这一「直达正极材料」路线绕过了由海外主导的前驱体加工环节，生产周期最长可缩短至原来的十分之一，资本强度与环境影响也随之下降。
该公司位于田纳西州Jackson的PlusCAM工厂将承接此次扩产。战争部表示，相关电池部件对下一代国防平台、无人机系统、战术通信与关键能源基础设施至关重要，而受外国低价倾销影响，美国目前的NMC正极材料国产产量不足自身需求的1%。
战略资本办公室主任兼战争部副部长Steve Feinberg的高级顾问David A. Lorch说：「OSC力挺关键电池材料的国产生产。6K的微波等离子体技术是建立具成本效益的国内供应链、摆脱对外国对手依赖的开创性路线。我们很高兴支持6K在美国的扩张，这将是加强美国先进电池工业基础的重要一步。」
OSC负责投资的高级董事总经理James R. Shanahan说，OSC的投资旨在弥合本土技术商业化阶段的资金缺口，以长期、耐心的资本帮助创新企业实现规模化并参与全球竞争。负责研究与工程的战争部副部长Emil Michael说：「如果我们依赖外国供应链，就无法主宰现代战场。保障先进材料供应至关重要，这笔OSC融资锁定了国家安全所需的、来源可信的国产电池供应。」
战争部表示，该承诺落实总统行政令第14154号「释放美国能源」的要求，并与振兴美国国防工业基础、把关键技术生产迁回国内的国家安全优先事项一致。这份有条件贷款承诺同时列明惯常的后续步骤：6K须满足财务、投资、法律、技术与尽职调查等方面的要求，才能推进至财务交割。建成后，其供应链将满足《国防授权法》的合规要求，服务战争部与商业市场。
（来源：美国战争部）
Office of Strategic Capital Signs $250 Million Conditional Loan Commitment With 6K to Scale U.S. Battery Cathode Production in Tennessee
The U.S. Department of War's Office of Strategic Capital (OSC) announced on November 5 a $250 million conditional loan commitment with 6K, Inc., to scale the company's domestic production of nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) cathode active material in Jackson, Tennessee. The department said OSC's investment would catalyze an additional $250 million in private capital.
6K is an advanced materials company focused on critical energy and aerospace technologies. Its proprietary UniMelt microwave plasma technology synthesizes finished, single-crystal NMC cathode powders in a single step. The department said the direct-to-cathode approach bypasses the foreign-dominated precursor processing stage entirely, reducing production cycle times by up to tenfold while driving down capital intensity and environmental impact.
The expansion centers on the company's PlusCAM facility in Jackson, Tennessee. The department said the battery components are vital for next-generation defense platforms, uncrewed aerial systems, tactical communications and critical energy infrastructure, and that because of price flooding from foreign countries, the United States currently produces less than 1 percent of its NMC cathode needs domestically.
"OSC champions the domestic production of critical battery materials. 6K's microwave plasma technology represents a ground-breaking approach to establish a cost-effective domestic supply chain and break our reliance on foreign adversaries," said David A. Lorch, Director of the Office of Strategic Capital and Senior Advisor to Deputy Secretary of War Steve Feinberg.
James R. Shanahan, OSC's Senior Managing Director for Investments, said OSC financing is focused on bridging the commercialization gap for homegrown technology with long-term, patient capital. Emil Michael, Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering, said: "We cannot dominate the modern battlefield if we rely on foreign supply chains. Securing advanced materials is critical, and this OSC financing secures the trusted, domestic battery supply needed to protect our national security."
The department said the commitment advances Executive Order 14154, "Unleashing American Energy," and the President's national security priorities to revitalize the American defense industrial base and onshore critical technologies. The conditional commitment sets out customary additional steps 6K must take to proceed toward financial close, including financial, investment, legal, technical and diligence requirements. Once complete, the supply chain would be NDAA-compliant, serving the Department of War and commercial markets.
(Source: U.S. Department of War)
来源：美国战争部
发布：GSM·美国（发布链接）
图片来源：图：田纳西州Jackson市中心历史街区，6K公司PlusCAM工厂扩产所在地。Thomas R Machnitzki 摄，CC BY-SA 3.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: The downtown historic district of Jackson, Tennessee, where 6K's PlusCAM facility will expand. Photo by Thomas R Machnitzki, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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