Ford and SK, a Korean battery producer, have introduced a plan to construct a brand new $1.2 billion battery cathode manufacturing facility in Becancour, generally known as Quebec’s battery valley.

Ford and SK have constructed or introduced a number of battery factories within the US to assist the automaker’s bold electrical automobiles plans, that are going to require an enormous ramp-up in battery provide.

On prime of the battery cell manufacturing, the businesses have been seeking to construct your entire battery provide chain in North America.

Immediately, Ford, SK, and EcoProBM, a cathode specialist, introduced that they’ve partnered on an enormous new manufacturing facility in Bécancour, Quebec, to supply cathode materials for batteries:

SK On, EcoProBM and Ford at this time are asserting an funding of C$1.2 billion to construct a cathode manufacturing facility that may present supplies that finally provide batteries for Ford’s future electrical automobiles.

They’re planning to begin manufacturing within the first half of 2026 and ramp up manufacturing to as much as 45,000 tonnes of CAM per 12 months.

They wrote in a press launch that it’s going to produce NCM cathodes:

EcoPro CAM Canada LP will manufacture cathode energetic supplies and, extra exactly, prime quality Nickel Cobalt Manganese (NCM) for rechargeable batteries which can be focusing on better efficiency ranges and improved EV vary in comparison with current merchandise, thanks partly to EcoPro’s core shell gradient (CSG) know-how.

The manufacturing facility is being in-built Quebec’s battery valley, which has been named that due to quite a few investments in battery supplies within the area together with from GM-Posco, Nemaska Lithium, Nouveau Graphite, and extra.

Ford says that development has already began:

Development has begun on the 280,000 square-meter (or greater than 3 million square-feet) website and can embrace a six-floor constructing that may home roughly 345 new jobs for Canada – from engineers and gross sales and repair professionals to co-op positions for college kids from native universities and schools in Québec. EcoPro CAM Canada LP additionally will pursue analysis and growth actions aiming at growing battery security and efficiency in addition to growing productiveness and minimizing the environmental footprint of its manufacturing course of.

Cathode materials manufacturing is presently extraordinarily restricted in North America, and this initiative is anticipated to assist Ford keep on observe with the necessities to supply battery supplies from North America to ensure that its electrical automobiles to be eligible for the $7,500 federal tax credit score.