Ford makes first Québec investment with battery partners for cathode manufacturing plant

Ford Motor Co. and two South Korean battery manufacturers are investing $980 million (1.2 billion Canadian dollars) to build a cathode manufacturing plant in Québec that will supply batteries for Ford electric vehicles.

The investment by the Dearborn automaker, SK On Co Ltd and EcoPro BM Co. Ltd. is Ford's first in Québec and part of an effort to localize raw material processing.

“Ford has been serving customers in Canada for 119 years," Bev Goodman, president and CEO of Ford of Canada, said in a statement, "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."

Production in Bécancour, a city on the St. Lawrence River that has attracted EV-sector investments, will begin in the first half of 2026 with a capacity to produce up to nearly 50,000 tons (45,000 metric tons) of cathode active materials, supporting production of up to 225,000 electric vehicles annually.

The Canadian federal government and the province of Québec are supporting the project with $475 million (644 million Canadian dollars) in incentives with $238 million (322 million Canadian dollars) in conditional loans each.

Construction has begun on the more than 3 million-square-foot (280,000 square-meter) site with a six-floor building. The plant will employ 345 jobs, including engineers, sales and service professionals, and co-op positions for students from local universities and colleges.

EcoPro CAM Canada LP, which will be a joint venture among the three companies once the deal closes, will manufacture nickel, cobalt and manganese. EcoPro BM expands into North America with the plant and will oversee its daily operations. Its core shell gradient technology, according to a news release, can help yield better performance levels and improved EV range. The company also will conduct research and development to increase battery safety, performance, productivity and sustainability.

In addition to this collaboration, General Motors Co. and POSCO Future M last year announced plans for a plant to produce cathode active material in Bécancour. Germany's BASF SE also is constructing a battery materials manufacturing site there.

"Today, we are helping to further position Québec as a key hub in the electric vehicle supply chain, as we continue to build our battery ecosystem," François-Philippe Champagne, minister of innovation, science and industry, said in a statement. "This investment is good for the environment and for the economy, and it will ensure well-paying jobs for years to come.”

bnoble@detroitnews.com

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