Volta Energy’s plant, the first of its kind in Canada, will eventually produce 63,000 tons of copper foil, enough for about 2.5 million electric vehicle batteries. PHOTO courtesy Volta Energy Solutions.
Quebec continues to attract international players in the electric vehicle battery sector.
Volta Energy Solutions, a subsidiary of South Korea’s Solus Advanced Materials, has announced it will open a copper foil factory in Quebec by 2026.
Volta Energy Solutions will produce copper foil for car batteries destined for the North American market. The company plans to retrofit a facility in Granby, Que., southeast of Montreal, for the copper plant.
The announcement follows Ford Motor Company’s own announcement last month of a $1.2-billion manufacturing plant in Quebec for cathode active materials, which determine the capacity and power of EV batteries. The Volta Energy Solutions copper foil plant provides Quebec with another piece of the global EV battery supply chain.
Volta Energy’s plant, the first of its kind in Canada, will initially produce 25,000 tons of copper foil per year starting in 2026, according to a Canadian Press. The company intends to increase capacity to allow for 63,000 tons when an expansion to the plant is ready to open in 2027, enough for about 2.5 million electric vehicle batteries. Construction on the expansion is scheduled to begin next year.
“It will permit Quebec to have the first factory for EV battery copper foil in Canada, so we will be a leader,” said Quebec Premier Francois Legault. “This factory will export all over North America.”
The Quebec government is providing the company with a $150-million loan, of which $26 million is forgivable. The total cost of the project is estimated at $750-million. Ottawa will be kicking in about $70 million through green investment tax credits and other programs.
Volta Energy Solutions has two other copper foil plants, in Hungary and Luxembourg.
