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The Canadian and British Columbia governments announced almost $300 million in funding toward a $1-billion high-performance lithium-ion battery cell manufacturing facility in Maple Ridge, B.C., expected to be the largest of its kind in Canada.
Taiwanese battery company E-One Moli will construct the facility, which is expected to have a production capacity of up to 135 million battery cells per year.
The federal government will pitch in up to $204.5 million through the Strategic Innovation Fund's Net Zero Accelerator Initiative, while the B.C. government will contribute $80 million. Remaining funding will come from E-One Moli and private sources, according to the Canadian Press.
“E-One Moli believes in ‘Total Climate Commitment’ as well as ‘Total Care Commitment’ and looks forward to producing a pure green battery to support the world’s energy transition,” Nelson Chang, chairman of E-One Moli Energy Ltd., said in a release.
The facility is expected to create up to 350 new jobs and maintain 100 existing positions. Construction is expected to start in June 2024, with the facility to be operational in 2028.
About the E-One Moli facility
At the new factory, battery cells for consumer electronics, power tools, medical devices, high-performance vehicles and aerospace applications will be manufactured to support the transition from fossil fuels such as diesel.
Manufacturing operations at the facility will be under E-One Moli Quantum Energy Ltd., a subsidiary of E-One Moli Energy, once it is complete.
Edmonton-based engineering firm Stantec Inc. will be designing the facility and providing services such as interior design, landscape architecture and sustainability consulting.
The anticipated size of the factory was not disclosed.
Continuing government support for batteries
The latest batch of funding for the E-One Moli Maple Ridge factory extends a streak of support for battery factories from the federal government to sustain Canadian manufacturing and clean energy jobs.
The federal government and Québec government announced plans to invest $644 million into a $1.2-billion battery materials facility in Bécancour, Que.
On a larger scale, up to $15 billion in tax breaks split between the federal and Ontario governments for the NextStar electric vehicle battery plant in Windsor, Ont. was needed to strike a deal to continue construction.
A combined $28.2 billion in subsidies were offered to Volkswagen and Stellantis-LG Electric Solutions for electric vehicle battery factories.
Editor's Note: This story was updated after publication to note that Stantec will be designing the facility.
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