Back to supply chains
Where does Form Energy source its components?
United States. Supply chain mapped to 37 inputs across 7 countries.
Federal screeningClean
No federal designation found. Form Energy is not named on any of the 3 federal restricted-party lists screened for this record (DOD Section 1260H, BIS Entity List, OFAC SDN List), and the United States is not a covered nation under the FEOC rules. Is Form Energy a Foreign Entity of Concern?
Upstream sourcing exposure
Medium38% weighted
9 in covered nations - 10 elevated, of 37 nodes.
Where inputs are mined and refined. Not a FEOC determination for the company -- see the federal list screening above.
Refining chokepoint
4 of 6 processing/refining steps in covered nations
Producer1
Component9
Processing / Refining6
Raw Material14
Mine / Extraction6
Logistics1
designated covered nation elevated no known factor not assessed
Loading chain view...
Sourcing Concentration by Country
Covered NationAllied NationOther
Sourcing risk across the graph
Where each input is mined or refined. Not a FEOC determination for the company.
0
Designated (0%)
9
Covered nation (24%)
10
Elevated (27%)
18
No known factor (49%)
Legend
Node Types
Producer
Supplier
Component
Processing / Refining
Raw Material
Mine / Extraction
Logistics
Sourcing risk
Federally designated - named on a restricted-party list
Covered nation - sited in China, Russia, Iran or North Korea
Elevated - documented concentration risk, no federal listing
No known risk factor - not a compliance clearance
Not assessed - no sourcing judgement was made
Relationships
Transformation - manufactures / assembles
Refining - midstream processing (FEOC chokepoint)
Supply handoff - supplies / sources from
Arrows point in the direction material flows (input to product).
Every mapped input in the Form Energy supply chain
37 nodes, grouped by supply-chain tier. Sourcing risk describes where an input is mined or refined; it is not a FEOC determination for Form Energy.
Producer (1)
| Input | Origin | Sourcing risk | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form EnergyForm Factory 1, Weirton, West Virginia (former Weirton Steel site) | United States | No known risk factor | Iron-air 100-hour long-duration battery. Active materials are iron, water, and air, deliberately chosen to avoid imported strategic minerals. Assembly is US-based. |
Component (9)
| Input | Origin | Sourcing risk | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iron Electrode (Negative Electrode)Weirton, WV | United States | No known risk factor | Reversible-rusting iron electrode; the storage medium. Made from iron powder produced in-house via low-temperature alkaline electro-reduction of iron ore. |
| Air Electrode (Positive / Bifunctional Oxygen Electrode)Weirton, WV | United States | Elevated sourcing risk | Gas-diffusion electrode enabling ORR (discharge) and OER (charge). Combines catalyst, conductive carbon, and PTFE binder; several inputs are China-refined. |
| Alkaline Electrolyte (Aqueous KOH/NaOH)Weirton, WV | United States | No known risk factor | Water-based non-flammable alkaline electrolyte. Potassium/sodium hydroxide dissolved in deionized water; ionic medium for the cell. |
| Cell Stack / Battery ModuleWeirton, WV | United States | No known risk factor | 10-20 meter-scale cells stacked in a water-filled module. Integrates iron and air electrodes, separators, and electrolyte. |
| Steel Enclosure & Module HousingUSA | United States | No known risk factor | Steel tank/housing holding electrolyte and cell stack. Sourced from North American steel; low-cost commodity input. |
| Air Handling / Water Management SystemUSA | United States | Elevated sourcing risk | Blowers, pumps, and airflow controls that feed oxygen and manage electrolyte/water balance. Motors and controls may include imported subcomponents. |
| Power Electronics / Inverter (Balance of System)USA | United States | Elevated sourcing risk | DC-AC conversion and grid interface. Power inverters commonly depend on globally sourced semiconductors and magnetics. |
| Battery Management & Controls (BMS)USA | United States | Elevated sourcing risk | Monitoring, balancing, and safety controls. Depends on semiconductors/PCBs with globalized (partly Asian) supply. |
| Separator / Cell MembraneUSA | United States | Elevated sourcing risk | Ion-permeable separator between electrodes in the alkaline cell. Polymer separator supply is globalized. |
Processing and refining (6)
| Input | Origin | Sourcing risk | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickel Refinery (Sulfate / Electrolytic) | China | Covered nation | FEOC chokepoint: pyrometallurgy + electrolytic refining of nickel to battery-grade sulfate is China-dominated even for Indonesian ore. |
| Cobalt Refinery | China | Covered nation | FEOC chokepoint: the majority of DRC cobalt is refined in China into battery-grade chemicals. |
| Chlor-Alkali Plant (KOH Electrolysis) | United States | No known risk factor | Membrane-cell electrolysis of KCl brine into KOH. US and Western Europe have ample chlor-alkali capacity. |
| Pellet / DRI Processing PlantMinnesota / Ohio (HBI) | United States | No known risk factor | Beneficiation and pelletizing of taconite into DR-grade pellets. Domestic processing keeps the iron chain clean. |
| Copper Smelter / Refinery | China | Covered nation | FEOC chokepoint: China holds ~50% of global copper smelting/refining capacity; refined-copper origin is often Chinese. |
| Polysilicon / Silicon Metal Refiner | China | Covered nation | FEOC chokepoint: China dominates silicon metal and polysilicon refining feeding semiconductor and power-electronics chains. |
Raw material (14)
| Input | Origin | Sourcing risk | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metallic Iron PowderWeirton, WV | United States | No known risk factor | Produced in-house by low-temperature alkaline electro-reduction of powdered iron ore (powder-to-powder process). Domestic ore feedstock. |
| Iron Ore / DR-Grade Taconite PelletsMesabi Iron Range, Minnesota | United States | No known risk factor | Iron oxide feedstock. DR-grade taconite pellets abundant in North America; a core FEOC advantage of the iron-air chemistry. |
| Bifunctional Oxygen Catalyst (Ni / Fe / Co-based) | China | Covered nation | Non-precious-metal OER/ORR catalyst typically using nickel (and sometimes cobalt) on N-doped carbon. Nickel and cobalt midstream refining is China-dominated. |
| Conductive Carbon / Carbon Black | China | Covered nation | Conductive carbon support for the air electrode. Carbon black and specialty conductive carbons are heavily China-supplied. |
| PTFE Binder / Hydrophobic Agent | United States | Elevated sourcing risk | Fluoropolymer binder giving the gas-diffusion electrode its hydrophobicity. Fluoropolymer supply chains span US, EU, and China. |
| Nickel Foam / Current Collector Mesh | China | Covered nation | Nickel-based conductive substrate/current collector for the air electrode. Nickel foam manufacturing is concentrated in China. |
| Potassium Hydroxide (KOH) | United States | No known risk factor | Caustic potash for the alkaline electrolyte. Produced by chlor-alkali electrolysis of potassium chloride brine. |
| Potassium Chloride (Potash / KCl Brine)Saskatchewan | Canada | No known risk factor | Feedstock for KOH electrolysis. Saskatchewan (Canada) is the world's largest potash source; allied supply. |
| Deionized WaterUSA | United States | No known risk factor | Solvent for the alkaline electrolyte and part of the active chemistry. Locally sourced. |
| Refined Nickel / Nickel Sulfate | China | Covered nation | Refined nickel input to catalyst and nickel foam. China dominates nickel sulfate and Class-1 nickel refining midstream. |
| Refined Cobalt | China | Covered nation | Optional catalyst dopant. Cobalt refining is ~75% China-controlled even when ore is mined in the DRC. |
| Structural Steel / Steel PlateUSA | United States | No known risk factor | For enclosures and housing. North American steel, itself derived from iron ore. |
| Semiconductors / Silicon Wafers (Power & Control) | Taiwan | Elevated sourcing risk | Chips for inverter and BMS. Wafers fabbed in Taiwan/US/Korea; some polysilicon and assembly steps touch China. |
| Refined Copper (Wiring / Busbars) | United States | Elevated sourcing risk | Conductors, busbars, motor windings. Copper refining is globally distributed with significant Chinese smelting share. |
Mine and extraction (6)
| Input | Origin | Sourcing risk | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickel Mine (Laterite / Sulfide Ore) | Indonesia | Elevated sourcing risk | Primary nickel extraction. Indonesia is the dominant mined-nickel source; much output is processed by Chinese-owned operations. |
| Cobalt MineKatanga Copperbelt | Democratic Republic Of Congo | Elevated sourcing risk | ~70% of mined cobalt originates in the DRC, largely as a copper by-product. |
| Potash Mine (Sylvinite / KCl)Saskatchewan potash basin | Canada | No known risk factor | Underground/solution potash mining for KCl. Canada is the leading allied potash producer. |
| Iron Ore Mine (Taconite)Mesabi Range, Minnesota | United States | No known risk factor | Taconite extraction for DR-grade pellets. Core of the domestic, FEOC-clean iron supply. |
| Copper Mine | Chile | No known risk factor | Primary copper extraction. Chile and the US are leading allied copper sources. |
| Silica / Quartz (Semiconductor Feedstock) | United States | No known risk factor | High-purity quartz for silicon metal and wafers. Mining is allied; downstream refining varies. |
Logistics (1)
| Input | Origin | Sourcing risk | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inbound Materials LogisticsWeirton, WV / Ohio River corridor | United States | No known risk factor | Rail and river logistics moving iron pellets and inputs to Form Factory 1. Domestic transport. |
Material flow (45 relationships)
- Form Energy manufactures Iron Electrode (Negative Electrode) (Iron electrode)
- Form Energy manufactures Air Electrode (Positive / Bifunctional Oxygen Electrode) (Air electrode)
- Form Energy manufactures Alkaline Electrolyte (Aqueous KOH/NaOH) (Alkaline electrolyte)
- Form Energy assembles Cell Stack / Battery Module (Cell stack / module)
- Form Energy assembles Steel Enclosure & Module Housing (Steel enclosure)
- Form Energy assembles Air Handling / Water Management System (Air/water management system)
- Form Energy assembles Power Electronics / Inverter (Balance of System) (Power electronics / inverter)
- Form Energy assembles Battery Management & Controls (BMS) (Battery management system)
- Form Energy sources from Inbound Materials Logistics (Inbound logistics)
- Cell Stack / Battery Module assembles Iron Electrode (Negative Electrode) (Iron electrode)
- Cell Stack / Battery Module assembles Air Electrode (Positive / Bifunctional Oxygen Electrode) (Air electrode)
- Cell Stack / Battery Module assembles Alkaline Electrolyte (Aqueous KOH/NaOH) (Electrolyte)
- Cell Stack / Battery Module assembles Separator / Cell Membrane (Separator)
- Iron Electrode (Negative Electrode) supplies Metallic Iron Powder (Metallic iron powder)
- Metallic Iron Powder refines Iron Ore / DR-Grade Taconite Pellets (Iron ore reduction)
- Iron Ore / DR-Grade Taconite Pellets refines Pellet / DRI Processing Plant (Pellet/DRI processing)
- Pellet / DRI Processing Plant sources from Iron Ore Mine (Taconite) (Taconite ore)
- Inbound Materials Logistics supplies Iron Ore / DR-Grade Taconite Pellets (Iron pellet transport)
- Air Electrode (Positive / Bifunctional Oxygen Electrode) supplies Bifunctional Oxygen Catalyst (Ni / Fe / Co-based) (Bifunctional catalyst)
- Air Electrode (Positive / Bifunctional Oxygen Electrode) supplies Conductive Carbon / Carbon Black (Conductive carbon)
- Air Electrode (Positive / Bifunctional Oxygen Electrode) supplies PTFE Binder / Hydrophobic Agent (PTFE binder)
- Air Electrode (Positive / Bifunctional Oxygen Electrode) supplies Nickel Foam / Current Collector Mesh (Nickel current collector)
- Bifunctional Oxygen Catalyst (Ni / Fe / Co-based) supplies Refined Nickel / Nickel Sulfate (Refined nickel)
- Bifunctional Oxygen Catalyst (Ni / Fe / Co-based) supplies Refined Cobalt (Refined cobalt)
- Bifunctional Oxygen Catalyst (Ni / Fe / Co-based) supplies Conductive Carbon / Carbon Black (Carbon support)
- Nickel Foam / Current Collector Mesh supplies Refined Nickel / Nickel Sulfate (Refined nickel)
- Refined Nickel / Nickel Sulfate refines Nickel Refinery (Sulfate / Electrolytic) (Nickel sulfate refining)
- Nickel Refinery (Sulfate / Electrolytic) sources from Nickel Mine (Laterite / Sulfide Ore) (Nickel ore)
- Refined Cobalt refines Cobalt Refinery (Cobalt refining)
- Cobalt Refinery sources from Cobalt Mine (Cobalt ore)
- Alkaline Electrolyte (Aqueous KOH/NaOH) supplies Potassium Hydroxide (KOH) (Potassium hydroxide)
- Alkaline Electrolyte (Aqueous KOH/NaOH) supplies Deionized Water (Deionized water)
- Potassium Hydroxide (KOH) refines Chlor-Alkali Plant (KOH Electrolysis) (KOH electrolysis)
- Chlor-Alkali Plant (KOH Electrolysis) sources from Potassium Chloride (Potash / KCl Brine) (KCl brine)
- Potassium Chloride (Potash / KCl Brine) sources from Potash Mine (Sylvinite / KCl) (Potash ore)
- Steel Enclosure & Module Housing supplies Structural Steel / Steel Plate (Structural steel)
- Structural Steel / Steel Plate refines Pellet / DRI Processing Plant (Steelmaking)
- Power Electronics / Inverter (Balance of System) supplies Semiconductors / Silicon Wafers (Power & Control) (Power semiconductors)
- Power Electronics / Inverter (Balance of System) supplies Refined Copper (Wiring / Busbars) (Copper conductors)
- Battery Management & Controls (BMS) supplies Semiconductors / Silicon Wafers (Power & Control) (Control semiconductors)
- Air Handling / Water Management System supplies Refined Copper (Wiring / Busbars) (Motor windings)
- Semiconductors / Silicon Wafers (Power & Control) refines Polysilicon / Silicon Metal Refiner (Silicon/polysilicon refining)
- Polysilicon / Silicon Metal Refiner sources from Silica / Quartz (Semiconductor Feedstock) (Quartz / silica)
- Refined Copper (Wiring / Busbars) refines Copper Smelter / Refinery (Copper refining)
- Copper Smelter / Refinery sources from Copper Mine (Copper ore)
Sources and methodology
Research-based supply-chain map compiled from public sources - not an audited bill of materials. Tiers reflect the standard industry structure for this product. Sourcing risk on a node describes where that input is typically mined or refined; it is not a FEOC determination for Form Energy, and it is not a screening result for the node itself unless a federal listing is cited against it. Verify against primary documentation before making a compliance determination.
Primary sources (3) - government, filings, standards bodies
Secondary sources (13) - trade press, analysts, reference works
- en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Form_Energy
- formenergy.com formenergy.com/technology/battery-technology/
- formenergy.com formenergy.com/form-factory-1/
- energy-storage.news energy-storage.news/construction-starts-at-form-energys-first-factory-for-100-hour-duration-iron-air-batteries/
- canarymedia.com canarymedia.com/articles/long-duration-energy-storage/form-energy-to-build-novel-iron-batteries-in-west-virginia-steel-town
- canarymedia.com canarymedia.com/articles/green-steel/now-form-energy-is-using-its-battery-tech-to-clean-up-iron-and-steel
- formenergy.com formenergy.com/u-s-department-of-energy-announces-28-million-to-decarbonize-domestic-iron-and-steel-production/
- pbs.org pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/iron-air-battery-renewable-grid/
- clevelandcliffs.com clevelandcliffs.com/sustainability/steel-as-a-sustainable-material/producing-clean-steel
- minnesotareformer.com minnesotareformer.com/2024/03/18/reclaimed-ore-high-prices-spark-mining-scramble-on-the-western-mesabi-iron-range/
- ineos.com ineos.com/businesses/ineos-electrochemical-solutions/electrolysers/chlor-alkali-process/
- sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/topics/chemical-engineering/nickel-sulfate
- sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0009250924002318
Common questions
- Where does Form Energy source the inputs in this product?
- This map traces 37 inputs across 7 countries, including 12 mines and refiners. It is compiled from public sources and is not an audited bill of materials.
- How much of the Form Energy supply chain sits in a covered nation?
- 9 of 37 mapped inputs are sited in a covered nation (China, Russia, Iran or North Korea) or named on a federal restricted-party list. A further 10 carry elevated sourcing risk without either basis.
- Is Form Energy itself a Foreign Entity of Concern?
- No federal designation found. Form Energy is not named on any of the 3 federal restricted-party lists screened for this record (DOD Section 1260H, BIS Entity List, OFAC SDN List), and the United States is not a covered nation under the FEOC rules. Sourcing risk in this map describes where inputs are mined and refined and is a separate question from the company's own federal screening.