Norwegian firm to spend $3.2B on building North America's largest synthetic graphite plant in Ontario

A Norwegian company plans to invest $3.2 billion to build North America's largest synthetic graphite production facility in St. Thomas, Ont., with the aim of creating up to 1,000 jobs.

Vianode's plans — first announced last month — were explained in more detail at a news conference Thursday that drew politicians from all three levels of government, including Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Vianode CEO Burkhard Straube.

Straube said the facility will help address what has become a pinch point in the supply chain of a material essential to the production of lithium-ion batteries.

"We're interested in investing in North America," Straube said. "There's a huge deficit of synthetic graphite — all of it comes from China right now. It's highly subsidized and not a level playing field."

According to Straube, synthetic graphite from China is being supplied at "unsustainably low prices" to keep North American companies out of the market.

Straube said investing in St. Thomas made sense for Vianode because the Yarmouth Yards industrial area, currently under construction, will provide a ready-made site with access to hydro power needed for production.

Yarmouth is intended to be part of what's called the automotive alley of businesses around Volkswagen's massive PowerCo. battery plant, where construction began last month.

Also, Straube said, Canada's stability "both economically and politically" helped solidify St. Thomas as the right place to build the site.

The Ontario government will provide a $670-million loan to Vianode to support the site's construction.

Straube said the facility will initially create 300 "highly paid" jobs when production begins, and that'll increase to 1,000 jobs when the plant reaches full capacity.

Synthetic graphite isn't mined but is a byproduct of the petrochemical industry. It's a process that requires high heat and large energy demands. Still, Straube said, his company can produce graphite in a sustainable way.

"We believe in sustainability and we believe strongly in local supply chains," he said. "Our raw materials, which is primarily coke, will come from North American and Canadian sources."

Production at the facility is expected to start in 2027, with the goal of reaching up to 150,000 tonnes a year once it hits full capacity.

Ford said the plant's output will be enough to support the production of two million electric vehicles a year. He also said it will bring spinoff benefits to the area at a time when Canadian manufacturing is threatened by the trade war with the United States.