NextStar Energy, a joint venture between Stellantis and LG Energy Solution, celebrated a major milestone: the “Topping Out” ceremony marking the completion of the steel structure for its historic EV battery plant in Windsor, Ontario. This signifies the project’s rapid progress, already 30% complete, and paves the way for a first half of 2024 operational launch.
The nearly 4.23 million square-foot facility, destined to be Canada’s first large-scale domestic EV battery manufacturer, will employ over 2,500 Canadians upon completion, with anticipated annual production capacity of 49.5 gigawatt hours. This marks an increase from the initial 45 GWh target, highlighting the project’s growing potential.
“People driving by daily witness this historic building take shape,” said Danies Lee, CEO of NextStar Energy. “We’ll have thousands of skilled experts building a world-class facility, producing cutting-edge battery technology for the electric vehicles of tomorrow.”
The project is currently generating significant economic benefits, with close to 1,600,000 labor hours already logged by Canadian construction workers, representing a significant portion of the projected 6.8 million hours in total.
The NextStar plant will be instrumental in Stellantis’ Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan, aiming for electric vehicles to comprise over 50% of its North American sales by the decade’s end. The facility will produce cells and modules fulfilling approximately 40% of Stellantis’ EV battery needs in the region.
Key construction highlights include:
- 100% Canadian construction crew of 950 craft workers to date.
- Module Building fully enclosed, with equipment installation underway.
- Cell Building nearing completion of steel erection, currently 40% enclosed.
- Project managed by Alberici-Barton Malow (A-BM) JV, a joint venture of industry leaders.
With its impressive scale and groundbreaking technology, the NextStar Energy EV battery plant is poised to become a cornerstone of Canada’s transition toward a sustainable and electrifying future.
