ST. THOMAS, ONT. – A Norwegian firm is putting $3.2 billion into a new synthetic graphite plant in southwestern Ontario.
Vianode CEO Burkhard Straube mentions that the facility will be built in St. Thomas, Ont., starting with 300 jobs and increasing to 1,000 jobs when fully operational.
Straube explains that synthetic graphite makes up the largest portion by weight in electric vehicle batteries, but it’s also crucial for nuclear reactors and defense systems.
Volkswagen’s battery division, Power Co, has just started construction on its large gigafactory in St. Thomas, though Straube didn’t comment on any potential partnerships with the car manufacturer.
Premier Doug Ford states that the province is offering a $670-million loan to Vianode.
Ford emphasizes that electric vehicles represent the future – despite a recent slowdown in the market, as Honda has postponed building its $15-billion battery plant in Alliston, Ont., and Umicore has halted construction of its $2.7-billion EV battery plant in Kingston, Ont.
©2025 The Canadian Press
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