Could Chatham-Kent be home to a $1.9 billion clean energy manufacturing facility?
Canadian Energies was among the vetted proponents of projects included at the recent Canadian Investment Summit in Toronto, hosted by Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Canadian Energies has said the project could create 2,500 direct jobs and numerous others jobs by attracting spin-off businesses to the area.
Company chief executive Mark Garvin and chairperson Richard Wilson met with local media to discuss their plans.
Here is what they had to say:
Can you describe what a gigafactory is and how it works?
Garvin said the company is trying to create a campus that will manufacture battery energy storage systems (BESS) using sodium ion battery technology along with manufacturing solar modules.
The other component Canadian Energies is offering is engineering, procurement and construction expertise for customers who want clean energy generation.
All three of these components create a whole ecosystem, “which is lacking in North America at this moment,” Garvin said.
He added it will be a “one-stop solution for clean energy.”
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How will the project proceed?
Garvin said a campus will be built in phases, beginning with manufacturing battery energy storage systems using sodium ion batteries to meet the demand for this source of energy.
He said this phase of the project will reveal the technology the company is bringing to build sodium ion batteries and “how it’s going to change the social economics of the country, of the province and of the community.
“We believe we have one of the best technologies in North America,” he said.
Garvin said project is an opportunity for the entire country, because there is a huge gap between demand and supply.
Canadian Energies officials say the first phase of developing a $1.9 billion clean energy gigafactory campus in Chatham-Kent will be manufacturing battery energy storage systems using its sodium ion batttery technology. PHOTO Supplied
What are the advantages of sodium ion batteries versus lithium batteries?
Lithium batteries can cause fires. Garvin said sodium ion batteries are non-flammable.
The technology is cost-effective, using sodium (salt) compared to the elements required for lithium that are not all available in North America, he said. All the raw materials to build sodium ion batteries are available in Canada.
Sodium ion batteries also perform well in extreme cold weather, Wilson said.
What made you decide to look at Chatham-Kent?
Wilson said logistics is one reason, with Chatham-Kent close to Highway 401 and the border with the United States and having access to a good rail system.
There is also a good source of sodium just an hour away in Windsor, he said. “These factors bring Chatham-Kent to the top of the list for us.”
They like the warmer climate for which Chatham-Kent is known so they won’t have to shovel snow as often in the winter, he said.
Both Garvin, who will be a father soon, and Wilson, said they are looking to relocate from the Toronto area to Chatham-Kent.
“I want my children to be raised in a community where everything is great,” Garvin said.
Manufacturing solar modules is part of the plan Canadian Energies has for developing a $1.9 billion clean energy gigafactory campus in Chatham-Kent. (Supplied photo)
Do you have a location for this project?
Garvin said a location has been identified, but it remains confidential.
As for using an existing facility or building a new one, he said, “I think this entire project needs a dedicated state-of-the-art manufacturing (facility).”
How soon could the project start?
Garvin said they would like to start as soon as possible, but the company is dealing the upper level government bureaucracy in terms of permissions, regulations and policies, which takes time.
Before building a facility, he said they need to find the right people to be part of the project.
Wilson said the project will create opportunities for spin-off businesses that will bring more employment to the community.
He believes there will be opportunities for young people for such jobs as quality control technicians and engineering.
There also will be general labour positions.
“Most of the people from Chatham-Kent should get the opportunity (for jobs) because they are the one who has welcomed us here to start working on the project,” Garvin said.
What kind of interest did your project receive from investors during the Canadian Economic Summit?
“To be honest, we had an overwhelming response by the investors” both institutional and private, Garvin said.
He added they participated in a huge number of interviews and meetings, he said.
Wilson said Canadian Energies was the only green, clean technology company from Ontario invited the summit.
According to the company, it already has secured billions of dollars in committed purchase orders and letters of intent from tier-one North American utilities, major corporate power buyers and data centre operators.
Company officials also reiterated a data centre is not part of its plans.
Garvin said Canadian Energies is in high-level discussion with the provincial and federal governments and “we are very hopeful.”
Ellwood Shreve has worked as a reporter in the community since 1993, joining The Chatham News in 2002, covering a wide range of stories. He can be reached at eshreve@postmedia.com.
eshreve@postmedia.com