National

Taiwan firm halts plan for $1B battery plant in B.C. that had federal support

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 04 Dec, 2024 01:33 PM

A $1-billion lithium-ion battery cell production plant that was planned for Maple Ridge, B.C., has been shelved.

The parent company, Taiwan Cement Corp., announced construction of the Canadian plant with much fanfare last year, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier David Eby attending and promising a combined $284.5 million in government funding.

Taiwan Cement Corp. company chairman Nelson Chang is quoted in a release saying that the plant construction has stopped in order to focus on Taiwanese production, in step with other battery makers suspending similar projects across North America.

The corporation's E-One Moli facility has been operating in Maple Ridge since 1990, but expanding the plant was estimated to bring 350 new permanent jobs in addition to safeguarding the current 100 positions at the site.

The B.C. government promised to contribute $80 million at the time towards the facility, while the federal government pledged $204.5 million as part of Ottawa's strategy "on securing key battery manufacturing facilities."

E-One Moli's offices in B.C. and in Taiwan have not responded to requests for comment on the development.

The statement from Chang says E-One Moli has informed the Canadian government of its decision to halt the plans, adding that it will be "very difficult" for the company to build new plants abroad before achieving full efficiency at its Taiwanese facility.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

B.C. revamps building code to allow single stairwells in buildings up to six storeys

British Columbia is moving to allow buildings up to six storeys to have one exit stairwell instead of two in the government's latest effort to boost housing supply. Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon says in a statement that updating the provincial building code to remove the requirement for a second egress or exit stairwell per floor will facilitate more options for residents who need larger layouts.

B.C. revamps building code to allow single stairwells in buildings up to six storeys

Taskforce ready for 'emergency enhancement' of salmon stocks after B.C. landslide

A salmon task force that is examining the impact of the massive Chilcotin River landslide in British Columbia says it's prepared for the "emergency enhancement" of fish stocks after the disaster. A statement from the Fisheries Department, which is part of the task force alongside First Nations and the B.C. government, says monitoring has confirmed that sockeye salmon have begun to enter the river.

Taskforce ready for 'emergency enhancement' of salmon stocks after B.C. landslide

140 into 93 won't fit: The math facing B.C. Conservatives as BC United folds campaign

The suspension of the Official Opposition BC United's election campaign, consolidating its pool of potential candidates with the B.C. Conservative Party, means that dozens from either camp will lose party endorsement. Here's the math on the challenge of putting together a unified slate of candidates under the B.C. Conservative banner ahead of the Oct. 19 provincial election.

140 into 93 won't fit: The math facing B.C. Conservatives as BC United folds campaign

Number of active blazes down

The number of active wildfires continues to tick down. There are 240 active blazes across B-C, with 35 classified as burning out of control.

Number of active blazes down

Earthquake warning system providing seconds of warning is activated in B.C.

B.C. Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Bowinn Ma says seismologists have been warning for decades of a major earthquake in the province, and the new system will give "crucial seconds, to 10 seconds" of warning in which to "drop, cover and hold on."

Earthquake warning system providing seconds of warning is activated in B.C.

Former correctional officer charged after B.C. smuggling investigation

A former correctional officer is facing nine charges including obstruction of justice as part of a criminal organization and accepting a bribe, after a smuggling investigation in British Columbia. Mounties say the arrest is the result of a collaboration between Chilliwack RCMP and the Correctional Service of Canada following the discovery of evidence consistent with a correctional officer smuggling drugs, weapons, and cellphones to inmates within an institution in the Fraser Valley.