SK On, Korea-based EcoProBM and Ford will invest C$1.2 billion (US$886 million) to build a cathode manufacturing facility that will provide materials that ultimately supply batteries for Ford’s future electric vehicles. Once production begins in the first half of 2026, the site will have the capacity to produce up to 45,000 tonnes of cathode active material (CAM) per year.

This new facility—Ford’s first investment in Québec—is part of the automaker’s plan to localize key battery raw material processing in regions where it produces EVs.

EcoPro CAM Canada LP will manufacture cathode active materials—more precisely, high quality Nickel Cobalt Manganese (NCM)—for rechargeable batteries that are targeting greater performance levels and improved EV range compared to existing products, due in part to EcoPro’s core shell gradient (CSG) technology.

CSG is a high-nickel concentration gradient-type NCM cathode material which improves structural stability and is usually used in pouch cell for EVs.

Construction has begun on the 280,000 square-meter site. EcoPro CAM Canada LP also will pursue research and development activities aiming at increasing battery safety and performance as well as increasing productivity and minimizing the environmental footprint of its manufacturing process.

EcoProBM established EcoPro CAM Canada LP in February. SK On and Ford will become investors once the deal is closed; the joint venture is subject to closing conditions and regulatory approvals. EcoProBM will oversee the day-to-day operations of the facility.

For SK On, the new facility is part of its efforts to secure a stable supply of key battery materials in North America. The South Korean battery maker has been actively developing its battery supply chain in the region where demand for EVs is growing fast.

SK On currently operates two battery plants in and is adding four more plants with its partners in North America. SK On’s annual production capacity in North America is expected to reach more than 180 GWh after 2025—enough to power about 1.7 million EVs a year.

Through the cathode JV, the three companies can have a stable supply of battery raw materials in North America.

—SK On Chief Commercial Officer Min-suk Sung

For EcoProBM, Canada is the second global market expansion after Hungary and marks the company’s entry into North America.

Through the joint venture, the Québec facility will become a key landmark for EcoProBM’s pioneering of the North American market. EcoProBM will invest to mass produce and supply 45,000 tonnes of cathode materials, supporting production of up to 225,000 electric vehicles annually.

In 2021, EcoProBM established a complete cathode material ecosystem in Pohang, Korea—handling everything from recycling waste batteries to producing lithium, precursors and cathode materials.

Support from both the federal and provincial governments was vital to securing this joint investment for Canada and Québec.