Gotion Illinois:
Key Questions and Answers

Gotion Illinois is a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to the manufacturing and integration of advanced Energy Storage Systems (ESS). It delivers a comprehensive range of ESS solutions from large-scale utility systems to commercial and residential applications to electric vehicle batteries, designed to meet the growing demand for reliable and sustainable energy storage.

The plant is being developed in two phases. Phase 1 is now operational, with workers hired and production underway assembling the different battery storage products. In Phase 2, the facility will expand to lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery manufacturing, positioning Illinois as a key hub in the U.S. battery supply chain.

Lithium iron phosphate batteries (LiFePO₄), or commonly known as LFP.

LFP batteries do not contain lithium metal, which means their chemistry does not present the type of lithium-water reaction associated with other battery types.

LFP batteries are considered more stable than the other types of chemistry batteries, which means they are less likely to react to external stimulants

As a result, LFP chemistry is much more resistant to thermal runaway, has a substantially higher ignition temperature than NCM (Nickel Cobalt Manganese), and has better tolerance to overcharging, puncture, and high temperatures. These characteristics create a lower fire risk, meaning safer large packs for large-scale energy storage and manufacturing.

LFP batteries do not contain cobalt or nickel, which become chemically unstable at high temperatures, contributing to exothermic reactions. Cobalt is often linked to human rights and environmental concerns, as opposed to LFP chemistries that have a much lower environmental footprint in raw materials. This equates to stronger alignment with environmental, social, and governance goals and public sector procurement standards.

At our facility, there have been no incidents of batteries catching fire. The documented cases of LFP batteries catching fire are very few compared to other types of batteries (chemistries).

Industry data also consistently shows that LFP chemistries are significantly less prone to thermal runaway and severe fire events than NMC/NCA chemistries. Technical data consistently shows that LFP batteries have a higher thermal runaway onset temperature (often ~270°C) compared with NMC (~150–200°C), making spontaneous ignition far less likely under stress. LFP’s batteries' iron-phosphate cathode doesn’t release oxygen as easily under stress, which reduces the fuel available for a fire relative to nickel-rich chemistries.

Fire departments routinely use water on LFP battery events.

Emergency response procedures vary depending on the location, size, and nature of the equipment involved. These procedures are developed in coordination with local fire authorities and are designed to prioritize the safety the surrounding community, first responders, and employees.

The water will act as a cooling agent, and it prevents the spread of the thermal runaway.

Water is the best and preferred extinguishing agent. Water cools the cells below thermal-runaway temperature, prevents heat from propagating to adjacent cells, and suppresses re-ignition, which is the biggest risk.

⚠️ Myth to ignore: “Never use water on lithium batteries” - This is false. Fire departments worldwide use water on LFP batteries.

In the unlikely event of loss to municipal water to the facility, the tanks each have a stand-alone capacity of 625,000 gallons, which is the designed equivalent of every sprinkler head in our facility running for 21 minutes before depleting.

The Manteno Township Fire Protection District manages and audits Gotion Illinois' emergency action plan on behalf of Manteno Village Administration and the residents of Manteno. The final emergency action plan meeting all code requirements was approved by B&F in December 2025.

Gotion Illinois has completely rebuilt a non-functioning fire suppression system in the former K-Mart facility. This includes repairing non-functioning exterior backup water tanks, interior overhead sprinklers, and production floor redundancy. We have also deployed F-500 encapsulating fire agent stations throughout the facility, quench tanks, encapsulation buckets, and a state of the art VESDA system to detect gases that are a precursor for output of a thermal event. Our BDA (First Responder communications system) allows for communications throughout the facility, ensuring universal operational communications with each other and dispatch.

In June 2021, a large fire broke out at a warehouse in Morris, Illinois, that was being used to store large quantities of “old batteries.” The facility was not authorized, and local authorities were not informed of the nature and specifics of the battery storage. It was unregulated and not equipped, and as a result not compliant with appropriate fire safety protocols. The facility had unaddressed maintenance and safety deficiencies that contributed to the incident.

Because first responders were initially unaware that some lithium-ion batteries were involved and which types (NCM, LFP, or other chemistries), early firefighting tactics exacerbated the fire, complicating suppression efforts.

By contrast, Gotion Illinois uses a newer and much safer version of lithium-ion battery chemistry (LFP) and has installed extensive safety and fire suppressant systems and equipment throughout the facility. Gotion Illinois also works closely with local officials to ensure appropriate permitting, transparency, and adherence to established fire and safety protocols and has met emergency-response best practices. In key areas, Gotion Illinois has risen above the requirements, such as establishing an internal fire brigade, staffed and led by certified firefigthers and EMT professionals.

The Gotion Illinois facility is compliant with all codes relating to operating the facility under the 2024 International Fire Code (IFC) and International Building Code (IBC). In addition, Gotion Illinois is compliant with all EPA and other regulatory requirements of operating the facility.

B&F Construction Code Services, Inc., the Manteno code expert, has been retained by the Village and works closely with Manteno Fire Protection District to ensure compliance to all applicable codes.

A Phase I Environmental Site Assessment was performed by Partner Engineering and Science, Inc. and is designed to provide Gotion Illinois with an assessment concerning environmental conditions.

Small municipalities use consultants because they can’t afford full-time specialists. Large cities use them because their projects are more complex. In this case, both apply. It’s considered a best practice, not a red flag. Furthermore, the Village requested early on to eliminate a step and have B&F send Gotion Illinois the invoice for their code compliance review services, rather than sending to the Village and having the Village invoice Gotion Illinois.

The Village of Manteno holds all jurisdictional authority with relation to local permitting. The Village has engaged B&F as their code advisor during the construction phase. It is an ongoing partnership between Manteno Township Fire Protection District, the Village of Manteno, and Gotion Illinois that ensures the safety of the workers, first responders, and the community.

Gotion Illinois is required to, has met all local, state, and federal regulatory requirements and has gone over and above the highest regulatory and safety standards in BESS and E/V battery manufacturing. The product chemistry itself is widely considered the most safety-conscious product on the market.

Regular monthly meetings with all stakeholders (Village, Fire, code) ensure current cooperation, and ongoing communication provides the basis for safety and compliance to all required codes and protocols.

Furthermore, it is Gotion Illinois’ ongoing responsibility to communicate with the local community, respond to questions regarding factory and community safety, and be a good steward of our local environment and resources.

The water holding tanks are the backup water supply for the sprinkler system incase there is an interruption of water supply from the main water line.

At the wastewater treatment system, intermittent water discharges are stored in a holding tank to allow constant flow to the system. The wastewater treatment system recycles process water rather than discharging to surface water or municipal sewage treatment. Initial water treatment is performed through a bio membrane to treat organic matter. The water is then sent through a series of membrane filtration and ultrafiltration steps followed by reverse osmosis. Any waste sludge from the process is dewatered and shipped off as solid waste.

The usage of water for the facility needs has been discussed with AQUA and they are aware of the amount of water needed. There were no concerns raised relating to shortages.

Gotion Illinois has worked with the Kankakee Highway Department and the State of Illinois on the expansion of 9000 road from two lanes to four lanes with the installation of a stoplight at Spruce and 9000 road. The construction on this road expansion is underway and be set to be completed on schedule. This road expansion will help accommodate any increase in traffic to/from the facility and create a much safer and efficient means of transportation on that road for the community.