Swedish battery developer and manufacturer Northvolt is set to build a wholly integrated lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery gigafactory in Quebec, Canada.

Named Northvolt Six, the facility will have an annual cell manufacturing capacity of 60 gigawatt hours (GWh). It will be constructed in phases.

The phase one 30GWh project is scheduled to begin by the end of 2023, with initial operations beginning in 2026.

The first phase of cathode and cell manufacturing, along with affiliated recycling, is estimated to cost $5bn and will create 3,000 jobs.

Claimed to be the largest private investment in Quebec, Northvolt Six is backed by the Canadian national government and the Quebec provincial government.

The 170-hectare site for Northvolt Six at McMasterville and Saint-Basile-le-Grand was chosen following a thorough assessment of North American location options.

Northvolt North America CEO Paolo Cerruti stated: “We have in Northvolt Six enormous potential, not only to rapidly expand our ability to bring sustainable batteries into the markets of North America, but to accelerate Quebec’s emergence as a key actor in the global energy transition.

“With its unique access to renewable power and raw materials, we see this as the ideal base of operations for Northvolt’s first gigafactory outside of Europe. We look forward to engagement with all local stakeholders and the province, to make Northvolt Six a textbook example of sustainable investment.”