Business

New battery manufacturing facility powered by BC hydropower

New battery manufacturing facility powered by BC hydropower
(Equipment operators at E-One Moli Energy's lithium-ion battery facility in Maple Ridge, B.C.)

A new lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility being constructed in British Columbia, Canada, will be powered by electricity from BC Hydro, which generates more than 90% of its electricity via hydropower.

Rechargeable batteries, especially the lithium-ion variety, power everyday devices from smartphones to electric toothbrushes and laptops. They’re also vital for the operation of electric vehicles (EVs) and as backup storage for renewable energy, such as solar power, BC Hydro said.

British Columbia is about to become home to western Canada’s first high-performance lithium-ion battery cell manufacturing site, operated by E-One Moli Energy (Canada). Maple Ridge was chosen as the location for the new plant. When the site’s operating at full capacity, E-One Moli Energy expects it will produce up to 135 million lithium-ion cells every year. These could be used in everything from power tools and medical devices to high-performance vehicles and even zero-emissions aircraft.

“The dedicated support and expertise that BC Hydro has provided have been invaluable in helping our company navigate the process to connect to clean hydroelectricity,” said Frank So, executive vice president at E-One Moli Energy, who helped spearhead the effort to establish the Maple Ridge facility. “The level of support from all levels of government and BC Hydro helped with our final investment decision and we’re excited to grow our business in B.C.”

British Columbia is the ideal place for businesses like E-One Moli Energy to set up shop, with 98% of the electricity generated coming from clean and renewable resources.

“We can help attract low-carbon businesses to B.C. by enabling companies to achieve their ESG targets by powering with renewable energy,” says Keith Anderson, BC Hydro’s vice president of customer, business development and energy management. “We’ve provided E-One Moli Energy with funding to assist in transitioning some of their manufacturing processes from fossil fuels to clean electricity and help reduce the overall cost of connecting to our system. This demonstrates our commitment to supporting businesses and economic development in the province while also supporting the CleanBC Plan.”

The CleanBC plan has set a target of reducing climate-changing emissions by 40% by 2030. The industrial sector accounts for 40% of greenhouse gas emissions, and E-One Moli Energy is expected to avoid 28 kilo tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually at full production by connecting to the clean electricity grid. In addition, the $1.05 billion plant is expected to create 450 permanent, skilled jobs that will generate new economic activity for the community, bolster B.C. as a clean tech hub and diversify the industrial sector.