June 1, 2026 News Release
PNNL can now team up with industry to develop and test a more scalable, safer type of battery

Oliver Peckham, PNNL JoAnna Wendel, PNNL

RICHLAND, Wash.—A major step in energy storage development hummed to life this month as researchers flipped on a new battery production line at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

The production line, made up of 16 pieces of equipment that fill an entire 1400-square-foot laboratory space, will create a cutting-edge type of battery cell called a prismatic cell. A first for the national laboratories, the prismatic cell line will allow researchers to test emerging energy storage technology that may become vital to supporting grid operations.

And because even the tiniest amount of water can damage battery materials, the prismatic line is housed in a dry lab where the humidity is lower than the driest places on Earth.

“With the new prismatic line, we can create, test and demonstrate real-world prismatic cells at an industrially relevant scale. This helps our researchers bridge the gap between science and industry,” said Adam Jivelekas, operations manager of DOE’s Grid Storage Launchpad, which is operated by PNNL on its campus in Richland and funded by DOE’s Office of Electricity. “We can help external researchers or industry partners test and validate their prismatic cell designs.”

https://vimeo.com/1195699088/d947f67110
Materials scientist Mark Weller walks through every step of the prismatic cell line, showing how PNNL researchers build new batteries. (Video by Eddie Pablo | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)

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