A proposed clean energy manufacturing facility in Chatham-Kent could represent nearly $2 billion in investment and create more than 1,000 direct jobs, according to municipal officials. Canadian Sustainable Energies Ltd., operating as Canadian Energies, has identified Chatham-Kent as the site for a proposed 10-gigawatt integrated manufacturing campus that would produce solar modules and battery energy storage systems. Chatham-Kent Mayor Darrin Canniff said the municipality has been working with the company for some time, but the project is not yet a done deal. “The project is made public because the Canadian Investment Summit that the Prime Minister’s hosting, this was one of the projects listed that was investment ready that they put in the program and they mentioned the location is Chatham-Kent,” Canniff said. He said he is bound by a non-disclosure agreement and is referring detailed questions about the investment to Canadian Energies. The company did not respond to a request for an interview on Tuesday. In a media release posted by founder and CEO Mark Garvin, Canadian Energies describes the proposal as a 10-gigawatt integrated gigafactory campus featuring high-efficiency bifacial TOPCon solar modules, grid-scale and behind-the-meter battery energy storage, and storage systems designed for data-centre applications. The company also says the facility would incorporate sodium-ion battery technology, describing it as a domestically sourced platform intended to reduce supply-chain vulnerabilities. Canniff said the project is not a proposal to build a data centre in Chatham-Kent. “They supply batteries for data centres as part of the sodium batteries of the project they’re looking at,” he said. “So certainly, that’s a misconception about the project because it’s been mentioned somewhere else that there’s a data centre. No, there’s no plan data centre. I’ve confirmed that with the company.” Canniff said the project’s location, workforce and access to key materials were among the factors that attracted the company. “Certainly location is a great thing. It’s central in North America. It’s along the 401,” he said. He also pointed to the area’s agricultural and manufacturing expertise, as well as its proximity to Windsor and Essex County. One of the proposed facility’s key inputs would be sodium, which Canniff said could be sourced from Windsor. The company says the Chatham-Kent campus would be developed through a phased expansion and outlines several potential financing structures, including institutional equity, project-level debt and infrastructure fund participation. It also says it is in discussions with utilities, corporate customers and data-centre customers about potential long-term agreements for solar modules and energy storage systems. The Chatham-Kent Chamber of Commerce says the proposal could have a much broader economic impact if it moves forward. “This is it. This is a competitive space,” Chamber president and CEO Rory Ring said. Ring said a manufacturing investment of this scale could generate opportunities beyond the jobs directly created at the facility, including for suppliers, trades, transportation companies and other local businesses. He said Chatham-Kent would need to prepare for the potential growth by investing in housing, infrastructure, education and workforce development. Ring also stressed that the proposal should not distract from the businesses already operating in the community. “We still, you know, just can’t have this carrot that’s held before us to make us forget about the road that we’re currently on,” he said. Canniff said other municipalities are already interested in attracting the project. “Of the 444 municipalities in the province, they would all love to have this,” he said. He said Chatham-Kent needs to continue demonstrating that it is the best location for the investment. Ring similarly warned that other communities could compete for the project before an agreement is finalized. The company’s announcement comes as Canadian Sustainable Energies was included in a Canada Investment Summit prospectus highlighting clean-energy, minerals and advanced-manufacturing investment opportunities across the country. The company says its proposed Chatham-Kent facility would eventually support permanent manufacturing and operations positions, construction employment, workforce-development opportunities and a broader supply-chain ecosystem. Canadian Sustainable Energies says it is drawing on the experience of WorldOne Energies, a solar manufacturing operation in Nagpur, India, which Garvin co-founded and operates. Canniff said the municipality remains enthusiastic about the proposal. “We’re just really excited about this opportunity in Chatham-Kent,” he said. “And working together we can make this happen.”
