By: Norman De Bono
ST. THOMAS – Last Thursday, Premier Doug Ford visited the area to greet Vianode, a Norwegian maker of synthetic graphite, and present them with a $670-million cheque.
Ford was in St. Thomas to celebrate Vianode’s $3.2-billion investment. The facility is expected to create 300 jobs when it starts production in 2028, potentially growing to 1,000 as operations expand, according to chief executive Burkhard Straube.
Currently, electric vehicle battery manufacturers in the West rely entirely on graphite imported from Asia. This new plant will help North America establish its own supply chain, making it likely that the EV industry will seek out what St. Thomas has to offer.
“Ontario and Canada have built an impressive auto supply chain, including an ecosystem for lithium-ion batteries,” Straube said.
“Our investment here in St. Thomas will solve Western Ontario and Canada’s challenges and build a resilient supply chain for the G7 in critical minerals, closing the gap in the automotive and EV value chain.”
This marks Vianode’s first facility in North America and will be the largest synthetic-graphite plant in “the Western world,” according to Straube.
The plant will produce about 150,000 tonnes of graphite each year – enough to power over two million electric vehicles – while also catering to other industries like nuclear energy, defense, and steel production.
“We are here to celebrate another critical investment,” said Premier Doug Ford.
He described the upcoming jobs as “life-changing careers” that would support “tens of thousands” more positions across sectors like mining, battery manufacturing, research, transportation, and advanced manufacturing.
Vianode is based in Oslo and started operations in 2021; they currently have a supply agreement with GM in the U. S., but not yet with Power Co-the Volkswagen-owned EV battery factory being built in St. Thomas.
“This is generational change,” stated St. Thomas Mayor Joe Preston. “We create jobs so people can stay in our community and buy homes here. We see the entire region as an area for development.”
The provincial Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli mentioned that funding for Vianode would come as a loan while emphasizing its significance within Ontario’s EV strategy.
“It is a significant piece,” Fedeli noted. “The first synthetic-graphite maker in Canada is an important addition to Ontario’s lithium-ion strategy.”
The province recently greenlit a lithium conversion facility in Thunder Bay along with announcing a $500-million investment aimed at processing critical minerals up north.
Ontario has attracted $110 billion worth of foreign investments-with over 10 percent coming into St. Thomas through Power Co, Vianode, and construction company Element5-as highlighted by Fedeli during his announcement speech.
The anticipated $7-billion Power Co plant aims to start battery production by 2027 with approximately 300 employees on board.
The site for Vianode spans 140 acres (56 ha) within Yarmouth Yards-St. Thomas’ industrial park covering 1,500 acres (600 ha) where Power Co also resides. The location near Ron Mc Neil Line and Yarmouth Centre Road is currently being prepared for construction work.
Elgin-Middlesex-London MPP Rob Flack cited both Vianode and Power Co as examples of local growth success stories.
“This is nothing but fantastic. We are creating economic prosperity and long-term sustainable jobs for this region,” he shared. “We need industry here so we can generate jobs followed by infrastructure like housing and roads.”
Once both plants are operational, there will still be 800 acres (320 ha) left available for future industrial development.
A new office has already opened on Talbot Street by Vianode where some staff members are now working onsite.
The company plans to manufacture low-emission synthetic anode graphite-a vital element used in lithium-ion batteries needed for electric vehicles along with various industrial uses.
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