Ford Motor Co. and partners, SK On Co. Ltd. and EcoProBM Co. Ltd., have announced plans to invest C$1.2B into building a cathode manufacturing facility in Bécancour, Québec. The Canadian facility will produce battery materials for Ford’s electric vehicles (EVs) and is expected to start production in the first half of 2026.
Construction has started on the 280,000 square-metre site that will house a six-floor building. The new project will support approximately 345 new jobs for local Canadians, including engineers, sales personnel, service professionals, and co-op positions for students from local universities and colleges in Québec.
The facility will aim to produce up to 45,000tpa of cathode active materials (CAM) and support the production of up to 225,000 EVs per year. The project is part of Ford’s efforts to localize processing of raw battery materials in areas where it produces EVs as well as the company’s first investment in Quebec.
Ford of Canada’s president and CEO, Bev Goodman, said, “Ford has been serving customers in Canada for 119 years, longer than any other automaker, and we’re excited to invest in this new facility to create a vertically integrated, closed-loop battery manufacturing supply chain in North America designed to help make electric vehicles more accessible for millions of people over time.”
EcoProBM will oversee the day-to-day operations of the site, while EcoPro CAM Canada LP will manufacture CAM and high-quality nickel-cobalt-manganese materials for rechargeable batteries. Ford and SK On will become investors once the deal is closed.
EcoPro CAM Canada LP will also carry out research and development activities aimed at improving battery safety and performance, as well as increasing productivity and minimizing the environmental impact of its manufacturing process.
“This investment once again shows that Canada is the green strategic partner of choice for world leaders in the automobile industry,” commented François-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry on the matter in a statement.
“Today, we are helping to further position Quebec as a key hub in the electric vehicle supply chain, as we continue to build our battery ecosystem.”
Cathodes produced at the new plant will be subject to benefits of the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). To qualify for the credit under the IRA subsidy programme, 40% of the critical-mineral value of the vehicle’s battery must come from the United States or countries with which the United States has signed FTAs.
Ford has so far signed multiple long-term lithium supply agreements this year, with Albemarle Corp., SQM, and Nemaska Lithium Inc., giving the company a wide range of international minerals projects to support its expanding EV production.
