British Volt Factory | The great aspirations that materialize in Beaconcore

British Volt is thinking big for a lithium-ion cell plant, a basic element of an electric vehicle battery that it wants to build in Quebec – a project that the Legalt government is seriously considering. According to information obtained by Tap, An industrial park and a special place to accommodate the Beaconcore Port Complex.

Julian Arsenalt
Tap

The British company, founded in 2019, is calculating a site with a capacity of 60 gigawatt hours (GWh) – which could supply 170,000 heavy electric trucks a year – a research and development as well as an anode and cathode treatment facility.

A source close to the matter explained, “The goal is to move forward with as great a vertical connection as possible while having as little carbon footprint as possible,” but no one has the authority to speak publicly.

Last April, the British Volt created a Canadian branch led by former Quebec Premier Philippe Coillard. A second and four representatives of the British company were listed in the lobbyists’ register to obtain financial assistance. The Quebec government’s Ministry of Finance, Investment Quebec, Ministry of Economy and Innovation, as well as Hydro-Quebec targeted interlocutors.

According to the Registrar of Companies, the address of British Volt Canada is the same as the address of the Dentons Law Firm at Placeville Mary, which counts Mr. Coulard in its ranks.

This interest of the English company comes at a time when the Legal government is planning to invest 1 to 2 billion over the next two or three years to accelerate the development of the battery sector from mine to battery module. It should have a private investment of between 4 and 6 billion.

Investment Quebec has already confirmed negotiations with the British Volt. Negotiations that the Legalt government is now seriously considering continue to make progress.

“They do things we don’t have and we are trying to attract,” government sources said Tap.

The name of British Volt Canada is also in the Federal Government Registry of lobbyists for support. This is mostly a billionaire project.

In the UK, the company began construction of a 30 GWh capacity complex with an estimated bill of 2. 2.6 billion (approximately $ 4.5 billion). It is supported by the British subsidiary of the German giant Siemens.

Production will begin in the fourth quarter of 2023. The project is divided into three phases of 10 GWh. There is reason to believe that the same will happen in Quebec.

To Tap, Two sources indicate that the 60 GWh target for the British Volt Complex in Quebec is considered ambitious.

Many attractions

The British Volt did not provide details of the location requested in Quebec, but said its plant wanted access to the deep water harbor and to the rail network. The cells will initially go to Ontario where the car manufacturers are located.

The company also wants to be powered by a renewable energy source. Owned by the Provincial Crown Corporation, Beaconcore Industrial Park and Port Company meet all of these standards. If the British Volt estimates more than one location, according to our information, this industrial park in the center-du-Quebec is the preferred choice.

Quebec has one property to attract lithium-ion cell manufacturers: its hydroelectricity, which allows companies to reduce their carbon footprint.

Nouveau Monde Graphite and Nemasca Lithium, two transformers in the lithium-ion battery sector, have already announced their intention to build factories at the industrial park and Bekancore port. The British Volt will not be in uncharted territory.

Currently, lithium-ion battery cells are mainly sourced from China. Factories in Europe, however, are under construction. In North America, Quebec aims to maintain its position in the field of transport electrification, as well as in the underground, which contains minerals needed to make batteries such as lithium, nickel and graphite.

Competitor project

Last Tuesday, Stormvolt was founded in Ontario, but under the leadership of Cubeser Maxim Vidrikir, it unveiled a deal with Asian giant Delta Electronics to move forward with its lithium-ion cell plant project.

This is a competitive proposal of the British Volt. Both companies aim to be a leading cell manufacturer on Quebec soil.

For its part, bus and truck maker Compagni Electric Lion has chosen to set up its battery pack plant at Mirabell to supply its vehicles.

Despite this new site, the Saint-Jerome-based company hopes to continue buying cells mainly from foreign manufacturers in China.