The CEO of a company proposing a $1.9 billion clean-energy manufacturing campus in Chatham-Kent says the project is moving through discussions with senior levels of government, while the location and construction timeline remain under wraps. Canadian Energies founder and CEO Mark Garvin made time to speak with local media in Chatham on Friday, providing more details about the proposal first made public earlier this month. Garvin said the company is planning a phased, 10-gigawatt manufacturing campus focused on battery energy storage systems and solar modules. The company has previously said the proposed project represents a capital investment of about $1.9 billion. Garvin said the full project could involve more than 2,500 direct jobs, with “thousands” of additional employment expected through ancillary businesses and suppliers. “At the moment, which is public, the CapEx of the entire project, which was in the Canada Investment Summit, which is $1.9 billion, and we are trying to work with the 2,500 plus jobs, which is direct jobs and indirect would be many thousands of jobs for ancillary units in other in the area itself,” Garvin said. Garvin said the project would not be built as one large structure all at once. Instead, the company intends to expand manufacturing capacity in phases as demand grows. He said the first phase would focus on battery energy storage systems, with solar-module manufacturing also planned as part of the larger campus. The company has not disclosed the proposed site. “The location is confidential,” Garvin said. “And we will reveal it soon.” Garvin said the company studied potential locations in different provinces and communities before identifying Chatham-Kent as a prospective location. He pointed to the mild climate, logistics, and transportation access, including the proximity to Highway 401, as factors in the decision. The proposed manufacturing facility would also be purpose-built rather than located in an existing industrial building, he explained. The company says the project has been in development for nearly two years. Garvin said Canadian Energies is now in discussions with the federal and provincial governments about the next steps. “We are already in a high-level discussion with the federals and the province,” he said. “And very soon we will, give you more details about that.” The municipality has previously said a project of this scale would require consideration and approvals from the appropriate levels of government, with any municipal regulatory decisions following the normal council process. The company also issued a clarification last week after public speculation about whether a data centre would be part of the proposed development. Canadian Energies said the Chatham-Kent facility will not be a data centre, although some of the products manufactured there could be used to support data centres elsewhere. The company says the proposed facility is expected to focus on battery energy storage systems and other clean-energy components, including solar modules. Garvin reiterated that point Friday. “We are not thinking of bringing any data center project here,” he reiterated. “We are into manufacturing of battery energy storage system … and the modules and also the EPC part of it.” Garvin said the company is confident in the proposal and hopes to begin construction as soon as the necessary government processes are addressed. The company has not provided a specific groundbreaking date. He also said he and his family are considering relocating to Chatham-Kent as the project moves forward. “I have a beautiful wife, and we are open to relocate to Chatham for our future,” Garvin said. “And I’m very excited for the opportunity and I’m looking forward to it.” Garvin said the company hopes the proposed campus could eventually become a centre of excellence for clean-energy technologies, while also creating opportunities for other businesses and entrepreneurs in the region. The proposed project was featured at the Canada Investment Summit in Toronto earlier this month. The federal government said the summit brought together investors, Canadian CEOs, and public-sector representatives to promote investment opportunities across the country. The Chatham-Kent project remains a proposal, with the company still working through government processes before construction can begin.
