UNIGRID accelerates permitting with EDC support to break ground on manufacturing facility

COMPANY

CHALLENGE

In 2025, UNIGRID was awarded a $2.9M competitive grant under the California Energy Commission’s (CEC) Realizing Accelerated Manufacturing and Production for Clean Energy Technologies (RAMP) program. The project, titled “Advanced Sodium-ion Battery Production in California”, would enable UNIGRID to establish a dedicated battery pilot production facility in San Diego, capable of producing MWh-scale quantities of sodium-ion battery cells annually.

After the project kickoff, which had a timeline period to achieve set production goals, the team encountered outside delays in obtaining its building and construction permits to begin physical work and reached out to EDC to help keep the project on schedule.

With deliveries to customers and early adopters of UNIGRID’s sodium ion battery products at stake, the company’s commercial output from the manufacturing facility fell behind schedule, and delays in securing permits had threatened to prevent contractors from beginning construction for months.

EDC SOLUTION AND SUPPORT PROVIDED

EDC leveraged its relationship with the City of San Diego’s Economic Development Department to communicate UNIGRID’s funding concerns and track the permitting process through each review stage. Regular updates from EDC kept UNIGRID informed of any outstanding requirements.

VALUE DERIVED

This connection with the City of San Diego helped UNIGRID secure timely permitting, ensuring it could start construction on schedule and putting the CEC funded project back on schedule.

By streamlining communication and providing oversight throughout the City’s review process, EDC reduced delays, minimized administrative stress, and enabled UNIGRID to maintain project momentum, Ultimately, the company completed construction work on its San Diego manufacturing facility and plans to commission it in Q1 2026.

“EDC stepped in at a crucial moment for us, leveraging their insight and advocacy to help us break through permitting delays that could have jeopardized our project timeline and our production deliverables to customers. We are grateful to EDC for their help in keeping momentum.”

—Darren H. S. Tan, CEO, UNIGRID Battery

Connect with UNIGRID:

• Website: unigridbattery.com
• Social media: LinkedIn

For more information and to learn more:

Lindsey Silvia

Sr. Manager, Economic Development

Email