Canada’s first large-scale EV battery plant gets occupancy permit, mass production targeted by year-end

NextStar Energy has reached a big milestone, receiving its occupancy permit.

NextStar Energy is marking the official end of construction of its $5-billion electric vehicle battery manufacturing plant in Windsor.

The company announced Tuesday it has received its occupancy permit from the City of Windsor, and while minor construction activities continue in non-operational areas, the facility is fully approved for safe occupancy, bringing the company a step closer to increasing operations at its cell manufacturing facility this year.

Chief Operating Officer Brett Hillock says there’s a level of excitement to get to work on the actual product.

“It’s kind of like being handed over the keys to your new car,” he says. The team is very excited about getting hands-on with the processes, working through our procedures, and getting to work on the actual product, so there’s a lot of excitement in the air."

The site just off the E.C. Row Expressway and Banwell Road is home to two main manufacturing facilities, the Cell and Module, and nine support buildings, including a recycling centre and safety testing laboratory.

Hillock says they are now able to fine-tune their processes with their test material.

“Once we prove out our processes, we move into our sample phases, which will go into full validation. When we receive our validation and certification of our material, then we can move over into mass production,” he says.

According to Hillock, they’re looking to begin mass production by the end of the year.

The facility is capable of an annual production capacity of up to 49.5 gigawatt hours.

Core operations include electrode production, cell formation and assembly, and module assembly.

Over 950 full-time employees have been hired to date, and the company is committed to creating 2,500 local jobs.

Construction of the massive 4.23 million-square-foot joint venture began in 2022.

NextStar Energy is a joint venture between LG Energy Solution and Stellantis and is Canada’s first large-scale battery manufacturing facility.

— Rusty Thomson/AM800 News