Mark Kane
Our Next Energy (ONE) announced a $1.6 billion investment in a new battery cell manufacturing plant in Van Buren Township, Michigan. The location was decided on after a competitive site selection process, evaluating 12 states and a Canadian province. Michigan is considered the best for the gigafactory and also will provide a $200 million state grant. The company has signed a multi-year lease agreement with Ashley Capit 659,589-square-foot building in Van Buren Township, which will be converted into a battery factory. The battery plant will be called ONE Circle and is envisioned for lithium-ion battery cell and battery pack production for passenger and commercial vehicles. According to ONE, the campus will include also raw material refinement and cathode materials production. The cell chemistry is Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP), prismatic type, in which ONE strongly believes in over the NCM (Nickel Cobalt Manganese). Production is expected to start in the second half of 2024, reaching its full annual capacity of 20 GWh by the end of 2027. 20 GWh is equivalent to about 200,000 EV battery packs (100 kWh each). Interestingly, ONE is very precise in terms of how many jobs it will create: 2,112, adding that it will offer “an average annual salary of $67,456 (38% above the ALICE wage threshold), as well as industry-leading benefits and a comprehensive training program”. In other words, electrification once again strengthens the economy and creates new opportunities. Mujeeb Ijaz, founder and CEO of ONE said: “ONE is thrilled to select Michigan for our first cell factory, due to the state’s unique combination of battery talent, proximity to material supply and access to low-cost energy. We applaud the leadership of Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the MEDC team, led by Quentin Messer. In addition, our collaboration and new strategic partnerships with DTE Energy, Van Buren Township, and Wayne County have helped ONE build a strong foundation for clean tech manufacturing in Michigan.” ONE Circle battery gigafactory in brief: investment: $1.6 billion
https://insideevs.com/news/615476/one-20gwh-battery-lfp-gigafactory-michigan/