On Tuesday, StromVolt, an enigmatic Ontario startup that develops automotive-grade EV batteries and says it wants to mitigate North America’s exposure to geopolitical risks in the global battery supply chain, announced that it is partnering with Taiwan’s Delta Electronics to build Canada’s first-ever lithium ion cell factory. Located in Quebec province, StromVolt’s factory will be the first such facility fully owned by a North American company, along with the rights to develop and scale the associated technology.
“StromVolt’s agreements with Delta Electronics are a landmark opportunity for North American cell manufacturing,” said StromVolt CEO Maxime Vidricaire, in announcing the partnership. “StromVolt would gain, through this close cooperation, the cell technology, extensive in-person support for the factory construction and the sale of brand-new machinery. The partnership drastically reduces the timeline for the factory to become operational and eliminates the uncertainty for such an ambitious project.”
StromVolt’s mission in pursuing the development project is to limit North American “overdependence on foreign players,” by securing cell manufacturing expertise and apply it to Quebec’s local supply chain, linking mining projects to the fast-growing EV sector.
“Quebec’s clear aspirations to become a leader in lithium-ion batteries, along with its abundance of minerals, renewable energy and cutting-edge research make it the ideal hub for the first Canadian cell factory. These assets will allow StromVolt to produce the cleanest and most secure cell on the market” said StromVolt’s Vidricaire.
“Delta has a successful and longstanding relationship with StromVolt. We look forward to working closely with StromVolt to make their vision a reality,” said Ted Shyy of Delta Electronics’ Components Business Group, adding that the company’s lithium-ion technology is already used in green buildings, renewable energy power plants and other major applications worldwide.
StromVolt says it plans to partner with battery recyclers to integrate recovered minerals into its cell production. This vision for the “circular battery supply chain” offers a path towards sustainable EV manufacturing that increasingly relies on the resources from older EVs, eventually (the company says) phasing out the need for extractive mining.
