The Northvolt factory site “would make a very pretty park”, quipped Thomas Mulcair.

Concerns about Quebec's Northvolt battery sector project are reflected in panelists' comments at the show The JoustTuesday, early evening.

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Former New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Thomas Mulcair joked, “Now that it's being torn down, it's going to make a very nice park for the people of this area on the outskirts of Richelieu.”

The risks of bankruptcy for the Swedish company doubled when Northvolt announced yesterday that it was cutting 1,600 jobs in Europe.

For his part, Prime Minister François Legault tried to cool the heat during question time in the National Assembly today by confirming that Quebec's continued investment in the Scandinavian company was conditional.

To the $240 million already invested for the purchase of land, $300 million can be added for the construction of the factory in Saint-Basile-le-Grand, which, according to the prime minister, will only be injected if work begins. With this latest payment, Quebec's investment will reach nearly $1 billion, counting the first $270 million from the government to Northvolt's parent company and $200 million from Quebec's Caisse de Dépot and Placement.

“There's nothing reassuring about that,” however, replied Mr Mulcair. “It is not clear that Northvolt will not file for bankruptcy in the coming weeks.”

But Quebec is guaranteed to be able to resell the land if the Northvolt project doesn't come to fruition, but “is the land really worth 240 million if we decide to sell tomorrow?” asks columnist Yasmin Abdelfadel for her part.

“Land was not worth 240 million a few years ago,” she explains. “Tomorrow morning we will not necessarily recover the debt of 240 million.”

But despite the big risks facing the Swedish company, “there's nobody in Quebec who doesn't want it to work,” says former PQ MP Elsie Lefebvre.

“It's true that this is a promising field,” she adds. “Does this business work? I hope so, but if it's not this, it will be another one, and it would be a shame if we can't do our part because we have all the elements in Quebec.”

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