Britishvolt, a UK-based manufacturer with a strong presence in Canada, will soon build a battery cell in Quebec to serve the North American EV industry. Electric Autonomy Canada Britishvolt reports that it is approaching the final decision on plans to build a 60 GWh battery cell plant, an R & D center, and an anode and cathode treatment facility.
“When the Quebec Government called for international interest in establishing a battery ecosystem in Quebec and called on companies around the world to be part of it, I was with British Bolt. We have contacted you, “said Philippe Quebec, President of British Bolt Canada. Electric autonomy. “Britishvolt is an innovative technology company born in the great UK. [battery] An ecosystem with the desire to repatriate the supply chain to the United Kingdom and surrounding European countries. “
“The core element of this mission is to really support the race to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. What can we do? Basically by creating an ecosystem,” said Britishvolt’s North American business. Anna Vujovic, Head of Development, told Electric Autonomy. “Our initiative from day one was to build this Gigafactory and manufacture these battery cells in Quebec … and assemble these battery cells in Ontario for easy access to local OEMs. The two states are working together and are working hard towards this with the support of the federal government. “
The company says it appreciates Quebec’s “strategic location” with access to deep-sea ports, rail connections to North America, and renewable energy sources. According to British Bolt, the facility uses hydroelectric power to generate low carbon dioxide emissions and minimize non-recyclable waste.
In August, Britishvolt announced that Glencore had acquired a stake in Britishvolt as part of a strategic partnership to supply cobalt to Britishvolt’s battery plant. In October, Britishvolt joined the Fair Cobalt Alliance to bring “responsible, fair and transparent” activities to cobalt supplied by the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The company is interested in making more than cells. “We want to be as vertically integrated as possible and include cathode and anode manufacturing in our business model,” says Couillard. “We have all the raw materials we need in this country, but there is a link between the raw materials and the battery materials that need to be developed.”
Britishvolt is not the only one planning a cell plant in Quebec. At a recent EV industry conference, Ontario-based Stromvolt said it is actively seeking facilities, government funding, and partnerships to build a 10 GWh battery cell facility.