LG Energy Solution’s 53 GWh battery plant in Arizona begins construction
QUEEN CREEK, AZ — The construction of a major battery manufacturing complex in Queen Creek, Arizona, announced by LG Energy Solution last year, is on track to be completed in two years with the first round of hiring expected to begin at the end of this year. The company provided progress updates on its US$5.5 billion stand-alone facility during a stakeholder meeting today at Combs High School in San Tan Valley near the complex location.
The attendees included Governor Katie Hobbs; Richard Ra, President of LG Energy Solution Arizona; Sandra Watson, President and CEO of Arizona Commerce Authority; Queen Creek Mayor Julia Wheatley; Brian Oh, Head of Mobility & IT Battery Division at LG Energy Solution; Hyung Kim, Head of ESS Battery Division at LG Energy Solution; Mike Goodman, Supervisor, District 2 and Chairman of the Pinal County Board of Supervisors, and project partners.
“This transformative investment will have a lasting impact not only in Arizona, but across the country and moves us one step closer toward our clean energy goals,” said Governor Katie Hobbs. “These are the jobs of the future – and the State of Arizona is committed to being an active partner in ensuring Arizonans have the skills to fill these jobs.”
During the event, Governor Hobbs announced the creation of a new battery-focused Future48 Workforce Accelerator to be located in Apache Junction in partnership with Pinal County, Central Arizona College, LG Energy Solution, the Arizona Commerce Authority and McCarthy Construction.
The complex consists of two manufacturing facilities which are the company’s first stand-alone cylindrical and ESS battery plants in North America. The cylindrical battery plant, called LG Energy Solution Arizona, will produce 46-Series batteries for electric vehicles (EV).
The ESS battery manufacturing facility, called LG Energy Solution Arizona ESS, will produce lithium iron phosphate (LFP) pouch-type batteries for energy storage systems (ESS). It is one of the first ESS-exclusive battery production facilities in the world.
By situating its stand-alone ESS battery facility in North America, the world’s biggest ESS market, LG Energy Solution aims for a timely response to the fast-growing needs for locally manufactured batteries on the back of the U.S. clean energy policies, providing ESS batteries with enhanced competitiveness in cost, battery life, and safety.
