San Diego, California and Austin, Texas — Wildcat Discovery Technologies, Inc. announced they have entered into an agreement to advance a U.S.-based lithium iron phosphate (“LFP”) cathode active material manufacturing facility in Hooks, Texas, adjacent to EnergyX’s Project Lonestar™ lithium plant and near the Red River Army Depot.
Under the joint venture, Wildcat and EnergyX plan to establish domestic manufacturing capacity for LFP cathode material, a critical battery component used in energy storage systems, electric vehicles, military platforms, drones, and other advanced energy applications. The proposed facility is designed to produce approximately 15,000 metric tonnes per annum (tpa) of LFP cathode active material in Phase 1, with the ability for future expansion. The project would be located on 330 acres of land already secured by EnergyX at the TexAmericas Center, a strategic industrial location with rail transportation access, available utility infrastructure, competitive energy resources, and proximity to important defense and battery supply-chain assets.
The project represents more than $230 million of total project investment, including substantial private-sector cost share from the project sponsors. If selected for DOE funding, federal support would accelerate construction, commissioning, and scale-up of one of the first meaningful domestic LFP cathode production facilities in the United States.
In addition to supply-chain and national security benefits, the joint venture is expected to create an estimated 150 high quality, direct permanent jobs, and up to 800-1200 indirect and construction jobs in Northeast Texas. The companies expect to work with local workforce partners, community colleges, and veterans’ organizations to support hiring and training for operations roles including chemical operators, technicians, engineers, maintenance personnel, and plant support staff.
Importantly, it is expected that EnergyX will supply the majority, if not all of the lithium carbonate needed for the joint venture partnership with commercially favorable terms, including a discount from market rates, and a price floor and ceiling. With lithium precursor materials accounting for 60-85% of the bill of materials for LFP cathode production as estimated by IDTechEx, access to stable and affordable lithium supply establishes a distinct competitive advantage. While most LFP producers are extremely exposed to lithium price volatility, the partnership between EnergyX and Wildcat solves this challenge. Further, EnergyX controls approximately 50,000 acres of premium lithium mining rights underneath the co-located cathode production facility and Lonestar™ lithium plant.
Both Wildcat and EnergyX have already validated demonstration-scale LFP cathode and lithium carbonate production capabilities at their facilities in San Diego, CA and Hooks, TX, respectively, and have sampled material to customers across energy storage, mobility, and defense-related markets. Further, Wildcat’s LFP product roadmap includes successive generations of higher-density LFP materials, while its broader cathode platform includes future cobalt- and nickel-free chemistries, creating exciting expansion possibilities for the joint venture. EnergyX’s lithium product portfolio includes not only lithium carbonate for LFP cathodes and lithium hydroxide for NMC cathode chemistries, but also lithium metal anodes for high energy density solid state batteries and lithium isotopes for the nuclear material supply chain.
“LFP cathode materials are essential to the future of energy storage, defense electrification, and affordable electric mobility, yet the United States remains heavily dependent on foreign supply,” said Mark Gresser, CEO of Wildcat. “This project is designed to help close that gap by combining Wildcat’s cathode materials technology and high-throughput development platform with EnergyX’s domestic lithium supply strategy and Texas project footprint.”
Teague Egan, Founder & CEO of EnergyX commented, “EnergyX is thrilled to build one of the largest American cathode plants in collaboration with Wildcat. In addition EnergyX’s global lithium technology and production platform, which includes the Project Lonestar™ lithium plant in Texas, this cathode plant is a critical step towards EnergyX’s larger vision of the Battery Mecca™. Cathode production is a natural next step, which will eventually include lithium metal anode production, and high energy density cell manufacturing. By pairing domestic cathode manufacturing with our domestic lithium supply, this project can help position Texas and Battery Mecca™ as a leader in the next generation of battery materials, and establishes a complete U.S. battery materials supply chain, directly adjacent to the Red River Army Depot.”
“This project is an important stepping stone toward Holyvolt Group’s mission of accelerating the transition to sustainable, resilient, and profitable energy systems across the Western world,” said Mathias Ingvarsson, Founder of Holyvolt Group, which acquired Wildcat Discovery Technologies in February 2026. “Localized battery and battery-material supply chains that are low-carbon, resilient, and strategically independent are essential not only to our mission, but also to maintaining Western competitiveness in one of the world’s most important industries.”
Ingvarsson added, “The proposed facility creates a pathway to bring next-generation proprietary cathode materials to market and to expand the use of Wildcat’s AI-ready, high-throughput materials platform. Over time, we believe this platform can help Western companies close the gap with overseas competitors — and ultimately surpass them. We are also seeing strong support across the battery supply chain, including from major OEMs, which reinforces both the strategic importance and market demand for what we are building.”
Today, most LFP cathode materials are produced in Asia, particularly China, creating supply-chain risk for U.S. energy storage, transportation, and defense markets. Wildcat and EnergyX intend for the proposed joint venture to create a secure, U.S.-controlled pathway from domestic American lithium resources through cathode production, supporting a more resilient North American battery supply chain.
The proposed facility also creates a platform for Western mining, refining, and materials companies to commercialize and scale within the United States. By linking domestic lithium resources, non-PFE raw-material supply, U.S.-based cathode production, and advanced materials innovation, the project is designed to support a more secure and competitive battery supply chain. The companies believe the proposed facility would directly support U.S. priorities around domestic manufacturing, critical materials independence, energy security, and defense readiness. Its location near the Red River Army Depot further underscores the strategic value of establishing advanced battery materials production in Northeast Texas.
