MOSES LAKE, Wash. (AP) — A battery materials company has purchased a 600,000-square foot facility in Moses Lake, Washington, to be used to manufacture lithium-ion anode battery materials for the automotive and cell phone industries.

Sila, based in Alameda, California, said Wednesday the facility will bring hundreds of new jobs to the central Washington town. The company said it was drawn by the region’s abundant hydropower.

Sila is making an initial investment to produce materials sufficient to power batteries in 100,000 to 500,000 electric vehicles and 500 million mobile phones annually. Production lines at the facility will start-up in the second half of 2024, with full start of production in the first half of 2025.