General Motors Co. and POSCO Chemical are working with the governments of Canada and Quebec to build a new facility in Bécancour, Quebec, estimated at $400 million. The new facility will produce cathode active material (CAM) for GM’s Ultium batteries, which will power electric vehicles such as the Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC HUMMER EV and Cadillac LYRIQ.
Construction on the new facility, which the joint venture will operate, will begin immediately and will create approximately 200 jobs.
CAM is a key battery material consisting of components like processed nickel, lithium and other materials representing about 40% of the cost of a battery cell.
POSCO Chemical produces high-capacity Ni-rich cathode materials and low-expansion anode materials for EV batteries, and has a set of technologies such as NCMA cathode, silicon anode and materials for solid-state battery.
Doug Parks, GM executive vice president, Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain, says: “GM and our supplier partners are creating a new, more secure and more sustainable ecosystem for EVs, built on a foundation of North American resources, technology and manufacturing expertise. Canada is playing an important role in our all-electric future, and we are grateful for the strong support we have received from local, provincial and national officials to grow a North American-focused EV value chain.”
“It is so exciting to see GM Canada and Quebec playing a key role in building the emerging ‘mines to mobility’ EV battery ecosystem in North America,” adds Scott Bell, president and managing director, GM Canada. “With this new processing facility in Bécancour, GM will help lead the EV battery supply chain while also launching Canada’s first full EV manufacturing plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, later this year.”
Min Kyung-Zoon, CEO of POSCO Chemical, comments: “POSCO Chemical is set to expand battery material supplying capability across North America through establishing a cathode material plant in Canada. We will lead the successful transition to the EV era by further strengthening the strategic partnership with GM and securing a production line with world-class technological competitiveness.”
By the end of 2025, GM plans to have capacity to build 1 million electric vehicles in North America, and the company targets the majority of components by value to be sustainably sourced, processed or manufactured in North America.
Keyword: GM & POSCO Chemical to Process Cathode Active Material for EV Batteries at new Plant in Quebec