The federal government will provide $644 million in funding towards the construction of a new battery materials facility plant in Bécancour, Qué., that will be built by a consortium formed by the Ford Motor Company and South Korea’s EcoProBM and SK On.
“Today, we are strengthening Québec’s key position in the electric vehicle supply chain, while continuing to build Canada’s battery ecosystem,” said François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, in a statement on Aug. 17.
SK On, EcoProBM, and Ford will invest C$1.2 billion to build the manufacturing facility that will help supply batteries for Ford’s future electric vehicles. The project is expected to generate more than 345 jobs ranging from engineers, sales, and service professionals, to co-op positions for students coming from local universities and cégeps in Québec.
“We’re excited for the opportunity for our first-ever investment in Québec with a new facility that will help shape the EV ecosystem there,” said Bev Goodman, President and CEO of Ford of Canada in a statement.
The EcoPro CAM Canada LP will manufacture cathode active materials and high quality Nickel Cobalt Manganese (NCM) for rechargeable batteries. The idea is to get higher performance levels and improved EV range compared to what currently exists and is on the market.
Construction of the more than 3 million square-foot site that will feature a six-floor building has already begun.
