Photo by Craig Howell Form Energy held an open house event Thursday night at the Millsop Community Center, providing residents an opportunity to learn more about the company and its plans to build its first full-scale manufacturing facility in Weirton.

WEIRTON — Ever since the company announced its plans to build its first full-scale manufacturing facility in Weirton, area residents have been hoping to learn more about Form Energy.

They have that opportunity through a pair of community open house events, with the first held Thursday night in the Weirton Room of the Millsop Community Center.

“I’m excited people are here,” exclaimed Ted Wiley, president and chief operating officer of Form Energy. “It’s really a thrill to meet the people of Weirton and get to know the community.”

Wiley noted the events were designed as an open forum, where area residents will have an opportunity to come and go as they please, while meeting members of the executive team, building team and recruitment team.

The second open house is taking place from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. today.

The company, he said, is moving quickly in the construction of its 800,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, set to be located in the area of the open hearth once operated by the former Weirton Steel Corp.

“We’ll break ground in the coming weeks,” Wiley said.

According to the timeline presentation available during the open house, the company plans to break ground this month, and begin work on the building’s foundations in May, with the steel structure installation beginning in July and utilities construction in September.

Operations are scheduled to begin in mid to late 2024, with an expansion planned in early 2025.

“We are working really hard to stick to that timeline,” Wiley said, noting many of those involved in the construction also worked on the 10 million-square-foot Tesla Gigafactory in Texas.

Announced by company and state officials in December, Form Energy selected Weirton to be the site of its first facility to manufacture its new iron-air battery, to be located on 55 acres within the Frontier Crossings development.

The project is said to involve an investment of $760 million and the eventual creation of 750 jobs.

Those jobs range from various types of engineers to maintenance technicians, personnel for shipping, warehousing and logistics, manufacturing associates, environmental, health and safety officials, human resources, various levels of management and more.

A few positions already have been hired as the early phases of construction get underway. Among those hired is Matt Caprarese, a resident of Weirton who previously worked at ArcelorMittal Weirton.

“This is so exciting for the community and so much beyond,” he said.

Based in Massachusetts, Form Energy was founded in 2017 with the goal of reshaping the global electric system by creating a new type of multi-day energy storage system.

The company says its batteries will be capable of storing 100 hours of electricity. Rechargeable and recyclable, the batteries are said to have a much lower cost than lithium-ion batteries, using materials “available at the global scale needed for a zero emissions economy.”

Some local elected officials also were on hand Thursday, including Weirton Ward 1 Councilman Tim Connell, whose ward includes the land Form Energy plans to build on.

“I’m excited to see some of the property, that was abandoned by Weirton Steel, finally being utilized by a company who will provide fair wages and good jobs,” Connell said.

Connell said he has heard from many of his constituents in the last few months, some of whom have had concerns about any environmental effects, but many, he said, who are excited about the potential for the company becoming a part of the Weirton community.

Connell said, for him, Form Energy represents an increasing hope, not only for current residents, but possibly former residents who might look to return to the area. He said, for too long, the area’s youth felt they had to look elsewhere to build their future.

“We have a choice now,” Connell said.