1,300 jobs created: Windsor, Ont.’s NextStar Energy battery plant grand opening

NextStar Energy held its grand opening of the battery plant today and CTV Windsor’s Michelle Maluske was there. Take a look.

Next Star Energy Inc. and the Ontario government joined on Thursday to celebrate the grand opening of the battery plant in Windsor, Ont.

The facilty is Canada’s first advanced battery manufacturing facility and has created 1,300 ‘good-paying’ jobs, reads a news release. Ontario said it will also strengthen the province’s position as the leading global manufacturer of advanced technology for electric vehicles, AI data centres, and other high-energy projects.

“The opening of the NextStar Energy battery facility is a milestone for southwestern Ontario, creating thousands of local jobs and benefitting workers across our province’s automotive and advanced manufacturing supply chains,” Ford said.

“NextStar’s commitment to Ontario workers reflects the hard work our government has done to cut taxes and red tape, attract historic levels of investment and build the most competitive, resilient, self-reliant economy in the G7.”

Production started at the battery plant in November. More than one million battery cells have been created to date and more than 1,300 workers have been hired.

“Today’s grand opening reflects the economic momentum we are building here in Windsor,” said Danies Lee, chief executive officer of NextStar Energy.

“With strong investment from the federal and provincial governments and the commitments from our founding joint venture partners, we are proud to be creating long-term economic value for Canada. At the same time, we are helping power the next generation of energy that will future-proof Canadian industry at scale. This is a unique made-in-Canada success story and one we can be proud of.”

Windsor mayor Drew Dilkens said NextStar’s $5 billion investment placed Windsor and Canada at the forefront of electrification.

“Our collective commitment to collaboration, land development, infrastructure, and job creation continues to drive new investments and build the foundation of future growth and development,” he said.

“Windsor-Essex is one of the fastest-growing communities to watch in Ontario and Canada, and NextStar Energy is a major component of our unprecedented growth and evolution. In the face of global economic uncertainties, this project remains rooted in our long-term strategy.”

A photo gallery from the event is available here.