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Sweden-based battery cell manufacturer Northvolt is investigating sites in Canada and has opened a dialogue with the federal government, as it weighs locations for a possible plant in North America.
The battery start-up, which was founded in Stockholm in 2016, has connected with staff at the department of innovation, science and economic development four times so far this year, federal lobbying records show.
Northvolt’s interest in Canada as a possible destination for a battery cell plant was first reported by The Logic. The company is also considering sites in the United States, the innovation-focused publication reported April 20.
Today, the majority of Northvolt’s business centres on Europe.
The company began commercial battery shipments from its plant in Skellefteå, Sweden last year, and has shared plans to start up two other cell plants in Sweden and Germany by mid-decade. It has contracts to supply Volkswagen and BMW, among other customers in Europe.
But the recent battery cell activity in the United States and Canada has Northvolt considering crossing the Atlantic. Company CEO Peter Carlsson warned European lawmakers in February that subsidies included in the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act were shifting global battery focus from Europe to North America.
According to Northvolt’s lobbyist filing with Ottawa, which was last updated March 30, the company is “exploring” opportunities in North America for what would be its first battery plant outside Europe.
“[Northvolt] is therefore in dialogue with the federal government in order to identify potential policy, regulatory and financial support that would enable potential expansion plans,” the company said in the filing.
If the cell maker advances beyond the site search stage, it would become the latest in a long string of global battery companies to put down roots in North America. More than a dozen cell plants are planned or already under construction across the United States, while Canada has secured two such investments so far.
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