Incendiary materials at Northvolt site: Weather thwarts saboteurs' plan

Incendiary devices placed last week at the site of the future Northvolt factory were originally supposed to be detonated, but weather conditions and the choice of materials thwarted the saboteurs' plan.

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Individuals who identified themselves as the perpetrators of the sabotage attempt published an anonymous message on the anarchist website Montreal Counter-Information in which they explained why the five incendiary devices did not explode as planned.

“The move was aimed at damaging machinery and reducing the ability of the project to continue. Unfortunately, these devices did not catch fire. One thing to remember is that when choosing a material, consider how weather conditions (high humidity or rain) can reduce the chances of a fire spreading to the device.

News magazine It cannot be confirmed that the authors of this anonymous message are the same people behind the events of May 5.

“Take the necessary risk”

The perpetrators of attempted sabotage also expressed their motivations in the same message.

“Why do they want to attack and damage property? Although Northvolt, a transnational company, presents itself as a leader of the green transition, it is actually its grave. The electric vehicles that the company plans to equip with these batteries (sic) are a false solution to the environmental destruction caused by industrial society.

“The state of Quebec has already abandoned its own environmental regulations and turned a blind eye while Northvolt violated many laws and codes. This is because the Legault government (like any other colonial government) has a political interest in the project moving forward. Fortunately, the future remains to be written. (…) with our beliefs Armed, make the night our own and take the necessary risks to fight for a future where life is possible,” we can also read in the message.

The investigation into the various acts of vandalism at the Northvolt site, until then handled by the local police force, has since been taken over by the Sûreté du Québec's Major Crimes Unit. No one has been arrested so far.

This is not the first time the Northvolt site has been targeted by acts of environmental vandalism. Steel rods and nails were fixed to the trees in particular. Vandalism also took place at the offices of the Urban Wood Valorization Center (CVBU) in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, an organization that carries out deforestation work on the site.

The latest developments have been sharply criticized by several members of the Legault government, particularly Quebec's Minister of Finance, Innovation and Energy Pierre Fitzgibbon, who described the “tactics” as “unacceptable”.