Ford Energy is targeting annual production capacity of at least 20 GWh at its repurposed Glendale, Kentucky, battery plant and has partnered with renewable energy developer DESRI to deploy its battery storage systems across utility-scale solar projects and other applications in the United States.
The agreement gives Ford Energy a potential route into a market where demand for large-scale storage is increasing alongside renewable energy deployment and electricity consumption. DESRI, which develops, owns and operates renewable energy and battery storage assets across the United States, plans to purchase and integrate Ford Energy’s battery energy storage systems (BESS) into its projects.
For Ford, the partnership represents an opportunity to establish a customer base before its manufacturing facility begins production. It also connects the company’s planned domestic battery manufacturing capacity with a developer that has an existing portfolio of utility-scale energy projects.
Ford Energy’s manufacturing strategy centers on lithium iron phosphate (LFP) prismatic battery cells, with the Glendale facility expected to handle cell production, module assembly and manufacturing of 20-foot containerized systems. The company took ownership of the former BlueOval SK facility following the closure of the joint venture disposition agreement and is converting the site from electric vehicle battery production to stationary storage manufacturing.
The initial product range includes the FE-250 and FE-450 DC Block systems, designed for two-hour and four-hour discharge applications, respectively. Ford Energy describes the standardized DC Block as a 5.45 MWh containerized system using 512 Ah LFP prismatic cells. The company has also indicated that it is exploring products beyond these two configurations, suggesting that the initial offering could form the basis of a broader storage portfolio.
The Glendale plant has completed trial runs of electrode mixing, an early stage in battery cell manufacturing. Ford Energy says the facility has met its operational milestones so far and remains on track to begin production in late 2027. However, reaching the planned annual capacity of approximately 20 GWh will require the company to move beyond initial manufacturing trials and demonstrate consistent production at industrial scale.
Customer commitments provide an early indication of market interest. Ford Energy reported in October that finalized contracts and late-stage negotiations together accounted for more than 80% of its planned 2028 capacity. Discussions for 2029 and 2030 are also underway. However, the company has not disclosed how much of the reported 80% is covered by signed contracts and how much remains subject to negotiations.
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