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. Premier Eby says U.S. tariffs would be 'devastating' for forest industry

British Columbia Premier David Eby says 25-per-cent U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods would be "devastating" for the province's lumber and forestry industries. He made the comment ahead of a meeting with fellow first ministers and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

B.C. Premier Eby says U.S. tariffs would be 'devastating' for forest industry

Shots fired at a Delta home

Police in Delta say no one was injured after shots were fired into a home in the city yesterday morning. Police say the shooting happened at around 3 a-m, when an unknown suspect shot into the home located in the 113-hundred block of 92nd Avenue.

Shots fired at a Delta home

Mountie injured during arrest

Mounties say the Independent Investigations Office of British Columbia has been called in to investigate after an officer was shot during an arrest near Midway yesterday. They say officers began surveilling a suspicious truck that travelled through several jurisdictions and eventually began driving up a forest service road near the Midway area.

Mountie injured during arrest

Hiker missing in B.C. wilderness for more than five weeks is found alive

Police say a hiker who was reported missing more than five weeks ago amid frigid conditions in northern British Columbia has been found alive. Northern Rockies RCMP say Sam Benastick was spotted on Tuesday when he flagged down two workers on a trail to Redfern Lake, about 250 kilometres southwest of Fort Nelson.

Hiker missing in B.C. wilderness for more than five weeks is found alive

After record-breaking warmth, winter to 'salvage its reputation': Weather Network

Canada's warmest winter on record is unlikely to make a repeat performance this year, The Weather Network's chief meteorologist says, as a new seasonal forecast suggests the season will try to "salvage its reputation." Chris Scott says the forecast suggests this winter will be generally colder and more impactful than last year, which saw the warmest winter on record — but it still won't be a "start to finish blockbuster" for any of Canada's regions.

After record-breaking warmth, winter to 'salvage its reputation': Weather Network

Supreme Court of Canada sides with First Nation in police funding dispute

The Quebec Court of Appeal ruled in December 2022 that the provincial and federal governments owed almost $1.6 million to the First Nation in Mashteuiatsh, Que., to make up for years of underfunding. The federal government agreed to pay its share of the money, but Quebec asked the Supreme Court to overturn the decision.