Export-Import Bank of the U.S. Board of Directors Approves Fourth Make More in America Deal

Board Unanimously Approves Battery Storage Production Deal for Oregon firm, supports hundred U.S. jobs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 27, 2024
Media Contact Name/Phone
media@exim.gov; 202-469-1550/202-730-6639

Washington D.C. – The bipartisan Board of Directors of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) today unanimously approved a $50 million financing package to small business ESS Inc. under the Make More in America (MMIA) Initiative to finance the construction of several new long-duration battery storage production lines at ESS Tech’s Wilsonville, Oregon facility. This is the fourth deal approved under EXIM’s MMIA initiative and will support approximately 100 full-time, good-paying jobs in Oregon. The $50 million financing package consists of a final commitment to finance two production lines in the immediate near term, plus a preliminary commitment to finance several additional production lines as ESS scales up its production capacity to meet customer demand.

“We are proud to approve EXIM’s fourth Make More in America transaction to small business and energy storage manufacturer ESS,” said Chair Lewis. “This transaction will ensure that EXIM continues to meet our mandates to support technologies that are critical to the global energy transition while bolstering supply chains and supporting good-paying jobs at home.”

This transaction will enable the tripling of the annual production capacity at ESS Tech’s Wilsonville facility that will be used to increase exports to Europe, Australia, and Africa. EXIM’s MMIA initiative is a domestic finance tool designed to unlock financing for American manufacturing, strengthen America’s global competitiveness, close critical supply chain gaps, and support American jobs.

The initiative makes EXIM’s existing medium- and long-term loans and loan guarantees available for export-oriented domestic manufacturing projects as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government efforts to strengthen the resiliency and security of America’s supply chains, following the enactment of Executive Order 14017.

ABOUT EXIM:

The Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) is the nation’s official export credit agency with the mission of supporting American jobs by facilitating U.S. exports. To advance American competitiveness and assist U.S. businesses as they compete for global sales, EXIM offers financing including export credit insurance, working capital guarantees, loan guarantees, and direct loans. As an independent federal agency, EXIM contributes to U.S. economic growth by supporting tens of thousands of jobs in exporting businesses and their supply chains across the United States. Learn more at www.exim.gov.

###