Posted on November 21, 2025
The Norwegian company Vianode has revealed its intention to establish a massive production facility in St. Thomas, valued at several billion dollars.
This plant will focus on creating low-emission synthetic anode graphite, which is essential for making electric vehicle batteries, nuclear reactors, semiconductors, aerospace and defense systems, as well as steel manufacturing.
The investment will occur in phases, starting with over $2 billion initially and potentially reaching up to $3.2 billion with future expansions of the plant.
“North American supply chains are heavily reliant on graphite sourced from China for lithium-ion batteries, defence technologies, nuclear technology and more,” said Vianode CEO Burkhard Straube. “A large-scale facility in Ontario delivering high-performance anode graphite solutions will provide Canada with domestic capacity that will make supply chains more resilient. This scalable project is a key building block that aligns with recent shifts in trade policy and supports our ambition to be a leading and trusted supplier for G7 supply chains.”
This venture by Vianode is set to create around 300 jobs during the initial phase, with expectations of up to 1,000 positions when the facility operates at full capacity.
A front-end engineering design study has already been completed and ground preparation work is currently underway to kick off production by 2028.
“Canada and Vianode are a perfect match. Ontario is home to major manufacturing hubs, with access to world-class infrastructure and a low-carbon electricity grid. The province has all the characteristics we are looking for,” said Vianode’s Managing Director in Canada, Emanuele Tricca.
As North America’s first large-scale low-emission synthetic graphite plant, this facility aims to reduce global dependence on China, which dominates over 80 percent of the world’s production of this vital component.
“With economic uncertainty undermining global supply chains, Ontario continues to stand as the stable and reliable economic partner that our allies are looking for,” said Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development Vic Fedeli.
The construction plan for the St. Thomas facility involves multiple phases that will ultimately achieve an annual capacity of up to 150,000 tons – enough synthetic graphite needed for about two million electric vehicles each year.
The provincial government has committed a conditional loan of up to $670 million to assist with the construction efforts.
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