Ford Motor Co. announced a huge, $5.8 billion plan Monday to build twin battery manufacturing plants in Hardin County, Kentucky, that will create 5,000 full-time jobs and power its future lines of electric vehicles. Gov. Andy Beshear called it a "planetary-size investment" that will create tons of spinoff jobs outside of the factories themselves and will open doors for the Bluegrass State in new markets.
AESC, a global leader in the development and manufacturing of high-performance batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage systems, along with Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, helped place the last piece of structural steel on its 1.6 million square foot facility in Bowling Green today. This “Topping Out” ceremony marks a significant milestone in AESC’s progress toward completing its state-of-the-art gigafactory in the Kentucky Transpark in Bowling Green, Warren County. The 30 GWh plant will create 2,000 new, skilled jobs for the region, producing battery cells and modules to power next-generation EVs produced for multiple global automotive manufacturers.
Today, Gov. Andy Beshear was joined by local leaders and executives from Shelbyville Battery Manufacturing, a subsidiary of e-Storage, to announce the largest economic development project in Shelby County’s history and the largest jobs announcement in the commonwealth in more than two years. The nearly $712 million project creating 1,572 skilled, high-tech jobs represents the third-largest project for job creation during the administration and the fourth-largest investment.
Toyota Motor Corp. is investing $922 million to build a new advanced paint facility in Kentucky that the company says will enhance the quality of its vehicle finishes, according to a Dec. 12 press release.
ReElement Technologies Corporation (“ReElement”), a leading provider of high-performance refining capacity of rare earth and critical battery elements, announced the expanded initiative at its Kentucky Lithium refinery to enable production of ultra-pure rare earth oxides and other byproducts from coal tailings and other types of mine waste in addition to battery-grade lithium products from spodumene-bearing ores.
LG Chem is now talking about investing around 1.6 billion dollars, down from 3.2 billion announced in November 2022. The new plans also set the annual capacity at 60,000 tonnes instead of 120,000. This should still be enough to build batteries for around 600,000 electric vehicles with a 500 km range but not 1.2 million as previously envisioned.
Hanon Systems will invest nearly $170 million and create 600 new jobs in Loudon County as the company establishes operations in a new facility in Huntington Park. Once ready, the Hanon Systems operation in Loudon will supply thermal solutions for electrified mobility to automakers serving the North America market.
NOVONIX Anode Materials LLC (“NAM”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of NOVONIX Limited, was formed in 2017. It has developed significant process technology and experience in producing lower carbon intensity, high performance, synthetic graphite targeting the electric vehicle and energy storage sectors. Currently, NAM is building its first mass production site in the United States, which will produce 10,000 metric tons per year of battery grade synthetic graphite. The project will build a new plant in Chattanooga to produce 30,000 metric tons per year of graphite targeted at the electric vehicle industry.
Nashville-based Silicon Ranch, one of the nation’s largest independent power producers and a community-focused renewable energy company, and Middle Tennessee Electric (MTE), the largest electric cooperative in the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) region and the second largest in the United States, today announced a landmark solar agreement under TVA’s newly expanded Generation Flexibility Program. The two middle Tennessee businesses have agreed to partner on the 110-megawatt (MWAC) Copeland Solar Farm, which will be the largest solar facility to serve a local power company (LPC) directly in the Tennessee Valley.
Partnership with EPB Chattanooga; KUB is 50% of a 66 MW solar site • Procured through a competitive process led by EPB • Silicon Ranch will develop, own, and operate the project in western Tennessee with expected completion in June 2028 • Interconnected to TVA transmission system • Price / MWh is fixed (no escalation) for 20 years • Net annual KUB savings = Est. $1.5 million • 20-year PPA term starts upon initial energy delivery date (June 2028)