TexAmericas Center, owner and operator of one of the largest advanced manufacturing, logistics and rail-served industrial parks in the United States and the nation’s fifth-ranked industrial park, is helping position Northeast Texas as a strategic location for domestic battery materials manufacturing following the announcement of a joint venture between EnergyX and Wildcat Discovery Technologies.
The joint venture is intended to advance a commercial-scale lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathode active material manufacturing facility in the Texarkana area at TexAmericas Center. EnergyX has secured site control for approximately 330 acres at TexAmericas Center as it evaluates future commercial-scale development. The proposed project remains subject to EnergyX exercising its option to purchase the site, securing final approvals, obtaining financing and completing required development milestones before moving forward.
For TexAmericas Center, the announcement highlights the region’s growing role in integrated battery materials production and underscores the value of maintaining large, infrastructure-ready industrial sites capable of supporting complex manufacturing, energy technology and defense-related investments.
EnergyX has invested approximately $20 million to date in its existing demonstration-scale project. The larger commercial-scale project under evaluation at TexAmericas Center represents approximately $500 million in potential investment if advanced. Wildcat Discovery Technologies’ proposed co-location would be contingent upon EnergyX moving forward with its larger commercial project.
“Projects of this scale require more than available land,” said Eric Voyles, Executive Vice President and Chief Economic Development Officer of TexAmericas Center. “They require infrastructure, utility planning, transportation access, permitting clarity and a local partner that understands how to move at the speed industry requires. EnergyX’s site control at TexAmericas Center is not a final project approval, but it shows that our property and development platform are well positioned for the kind of advanced manufacturing opportunities companies are evaluating today.”
According to the announcement issued by EnergyX and Wildcat Discovery Technologies, the proposed joint venture would establish domestic manufacturing capacity for LFP cathode active material, a critical battery component used in energy storage systems, electric vehicles, defense platforms, drones and other advanced energy applications. The proposed facility is designed to produce approximately 15,000 metric tonnes per annum of LFP cathode active material during Phase 1, with the ability to expand production in future phases.
The project would pair lithium production with cathode manufacturing in the same region, supporting a more localized battery materials supply chain and reducing exposure to global raw material and processing bottlenecks. EnergyX’s broader strategy focuses on vertically integrating key battery material inputs, from lithium production through cathode manufacturing, to support growing demand from energy storage, mobility, aerospace and defense markets.
The companies have stated that the proposed facility would be located adjacent to EnergyX’s Project Lonestar™ lithium plant and near the U.S. Army’s Red River Army Depot, placing it within a region with existing defense, logistics and advanced manufacturing assets. Pilot-scale operations are already underway, with EnergyX producing lithium carbonate at TexAmericas Center and Wildcat producing LFP cathode materials in San Diego. Both companies are supplying product samples to prospective customers across energy storage, transportation and defense sectors as they advance commercialization efforts.
The proposed EnergyX-Wildcat project also builds on a broader concentration of energy, defense and advanced manufacturing activity in the Texarkana region. Alongside SkyFoundry’s development and emerging activity tied to battery assembly, energy storage systems and final drone assembly at Red River Army Depot, the region is building the foundational capabilities needed to support an integrated domestic energy storage, autonomous systems and defense industrial supply chain.
The joint venture partners are also pursuing support opportunities through the U.S. Department of Energy that could help accelerate construction and commercialization timelines for what could become one of the nation’s first scaled domestic LFP cathode manufacturing facilities.
TexAmericas Center’s shovel-ready site conditions, large-acreage availability, rail-served infrastructure and operating structure helped create a viable location for EnergyX to evaluate future commercial-scale development. A key advantage is TexAmericas Center’s Qualified Sites Program, which invests in site due diligence before prospects arrive, creating a portfolio of development-ready properties supported by environmental, engineering, infrastructure, utility and permitting data.
As the Authority Having Jurisdiction over development processes on its property, TexAmericas Center can further accelerate development by coordinating real estate, permitting, infrastructure, logistics, workforce and incentive-related requirements through a single point of contact.
“The common thread across these opportunities is readiness,” Voyles said. “Companies tied to the next generation of energy, manufacturing and defense supply chains are looking for locations that can reduce uncertainty and support speed-to-market. TexAmericas Center was designed for that environment. We can provide the land, infrastructure, rail access, operating flexibility and development support companies need to move from evaluation to execution.”
The proposed project reflects the type of opportunity TexAmericas Center was designed to support: largescale industrial development that strengthens domestic manufacturing, enhances supply chain resilience, advances energy technology innovation and contributes to national defense readiness.
TexAmericas Center will continue working with EnergyX, regional partners, state agencies and other stakeholders as the project evaluation process moves forward.
As companies seek locations capable of supporting the next generation of energy and advanced manufacturing investments, Northeast Texas is increasingly demonstrating its ability to serve as a platform for integrated battery materials production, defense-related manufacturing and domestic supply chain development. The proposed EnergyX-Wildcat project represents another milestone in the region’s efforts to attract transformative industrial investment and strengthen America’s domestic manufacturing base.