Umicore is proceeding with the construction of a 35 GWh equivalent battery materials production plant in Loyalist, ON, to serve the North American market for electric vehicle (EV) batteries. Given the significance of the plant for the North American EV supply chain and a strengthened EV battery ecosystem, Umicore will receive substantial financial support from the Governments of Canada and Ontario for this key project. 

“Umicore’s investment in Canada represents the final step in creating a truly global production presence with our local-for-local, sustainable EV battery material value chains.

Our regionally-integrated battery value chains, which are already in place in Europe and Asia, give our customers worldwide the security of supply of these critical and decarbonized battery materials in their fast transformation towards clean, electric mobility,” said Mathias Miedreich, CEO, Umicore.

Combining the production of precursor (pCAM) and CAM, the most critical components for a rechargeable battery’s performance, Umicore’s production facility will complete the missing link in North America’s EV battery value chain, from natural resources to EVs. The plant will be fully equipped to produce the most advanced high-nickel technologies and is prepared for future battery chemistries, including manganese-rich HLM and solid-state batteries.

The investment is part of Umicore’s previously announced plans and amounts to € 1.27 billion (€ 0.69 billion after non-refundable capital expense grants) until 2026.

The engineering and permitting process is ongoing and Umicore expects to begin construction on the 141-hectare/350-acre plot of land later this year. The plant is expected to be commissioned at the end of 2025 with production ramping up as from 2026.