Achi news desk-
Northvolt said it is making progress as it unveiled the next steps to build its mega-battery plant on Montreal’s South Shore on Wednesday.
Six months after announcing a $7 billion investment to build its battery cell factory, company founder Paolo Crotti met with reporters on Wednesday.
He said he didn’t expect the push for the project.
“Yes, I was surprised. To be labeled as not participating responsibly in an environmental debate was, for us, quite shocking,” he said.
Since the project was announced, environmental groups and local residents have criticized it – the site was even vandalized due to the removal of trees.
“I came here, maybe too innocent, [we] I didn’t expect that to happen,” he said.
Northvolt Co-Founder Paolo Cerotti (CTV News)
Now, up to 450 trucks a day will travel along the local roads and more trees will be felled for a total of 14,000.
Last week, the Quebec government approved the company for filling a wetland.
Environmental groups say it harms threatened species like the least bittern and say Northvolt is not keeping up with public consultations.
“They’re cutting down trees. There are endangered species on the ground. They’re filling wetlands. It’s all being done behind closed doors,” said Greenpeace’s Patrick Bonin. “We don’t have those details, so they shouldn’t be surprised.”
Northvolt says it needs more than a dozen approvals approved to move forward. This comes after reports that the land in McMasterville, where part of the plant is located, is still not zoned for industrial use.
“We are taking a risk by deploying billions of dollars upstream of the project without the certainty that all the approvals will be in order at the end,” Crotty said, and “if we are taking this risk, it is because we are aware that the technology we are deploying will allow us to get all the necessary permissions.”
“Mayor McMasterville has made public the fact that they are doing what they are allowed to do. It’s a process that takes three to six months [sort through] So I’m pretty comfortable with the process that’s happening right now,” said Economy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon.
Some of the plant that processes recycling will be required to undergo an environmental assessment, although other facilities will not.
Greenpeace is pushing for an independent assessment, especially since the planned entry and discharge into the Richelieu River has not yet been approved.
Even with all the controversy, Northvolt said it’s not a second-guess building in Quebec and said it’s not going anywhere.
“Power, access to natural resources, great talent,” Crotty said. “We are committed to Quebec for the long term.”
Construction is expected to begin in the coming months and production will begin in 2026.
With files from the Canadian Press
