Sila gets conditional $1.4 billion Pentagon loan for silicon-carbon battery plants

Sila said it had received a conditional loan commitment of up to $1.4 billion from the U.S. Department of Defense to expand silicon-carbon anode and lithium-ion battery cell manufacturing, Reuters reported. The Pentagon said the commitment supports onshoring critical materials for the defense industrial base. The loan would help expand Sila's silicon-carbon anode plant in Moses Lake, Washington, and build a battery cell facility for specialty uses including industrial, agricultural, and military drones. Officials said the project would strengthen domestic supply chains for energy storage, AI, and data centers and cut reliance on foreign battery components. Last month, Sila said it had secured $300 million in private equity funding led by Sutter Hill Ventures and Atreides Management for a planned Phase 2 expansion of its silicon-carbon anode technology.