Northvolt picks Québec, Canada, for its North American expansion
The success of Chinese companies, who dominate every aspect of the global supply chain from mine to megawatt, is undeniable. Striving to cut overreliance and fast-track the energy transition, Western economies accelerate industrial development and governmental incentives to establish a local, reliable, and sustainable supply chain.
The latest addition to the North American landscape is Northvolt.
The Canadian bustling battery ecosystem welcomes Northvolt to the scene with plans to establish a fully integrated 60-GWh lithium-ion battery gigafactory just outside Montréal, Québec.
“We have in Northvolt Six enormous potential, not only to rapidly expand our ability to bring sustainable batteries into markets of North America, but to accelerate Québec’s emergence as a key actor in the global energy transition. With its unique access to renewable power and raw materials, we see this as the ideal base of operations for Northvolt’s first gigafactory outside of Europe” said co-founder Paolo Cerruti at the announcement on Thursday.
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The battery era is upon us
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Beyond EV and battery factories, a complete ecosystem, from mining to recycling, needs to be implemented and co-developed with business partners to ensure an efficient and environmentally friendly transition. Northvolt's arrival complements Québec's integrated strategy with the presence of leaders in graphite and lithium, battery manufacturers, specialized EV manufacturers, and recyclers.
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Technological and commercial collaboration with Panasonic Energy
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Shoichiro Watanabe, Executive Vice President & CTO of Panasonic Energy, The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, Eric Desaulniers, President & CEO of NMG, and Kazuo Tadanobu, President & CEO of Panasonic Energy at a Japan-Canada event in Ottawa on September 21, 2023.
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Participation from established battery leaders also strengthens the Canadian ecosystem. NMG and Panasonic Energy diligently progress through their technological engagement and commercial discussions toward a definitive offtake agreement. The planned commercial agreement reiterates the attractiveness and responsible nature of NMG's business model for offering the North American battery market a sustainable, local, and high-quality source of active anode material.
The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, noted:
“Canada and Japan are committed to advancing our shared ambitions to develop sustainable and reliable global battery supply chains. The advancement of commercial discussions between Panasonic and Nouveau Monde Graphite is another step towards a stronger domestic critical minerals ecosystem. I’m proud to see that Quebec and our companies continue to attract the world’s leading players to our innovative ecosystems for the benefit of our environment, and our economy while creating well-paying jobs for years to come.”
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Powering the energy transition with Canada's critical minerals
Graphite plays an essential role in lithium-ion batteries. For every tonne of lithium, 1.5 tonnes of graphite isrequired. With demand for natural graphite expected to increase by over 500% by 2035, North America must quickly turn to reliable sources of natural graphite to break away from Chinese-controlled supply chains.
NMG intends to offer a turnkey solution to battery and electric vehicle manufacturers with its local and carbon-neutral graphite-based battery materials. Our strategic partnership with Panasonic Energy and our discussions with other major manufacturers looking to secure supply support our business strategy and the development of a Western ecosystem.
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Local • Reliable • Sustainable • Traceable
NMG is planned to be North America’s largest integrated natural graphite producer, set to provide a turnkey supply of active anode materials to the Western World.
FROM ORE TO BATTERY MATERIALS
Nouveau Monde Graphite »
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