Through the fall months, the focus at Yarmouth Yards industrial park in St. Thomas took on a horizontal perspective as the concrete foundation was poured for the first cell production building incorporated in the massive PowerCo EV battery gigafactory.
Now, in the new year, it’s a vertical presence as steel framework rises upward to announce the beginning of construction of major building structures.
Foundation work is being undertaken on the 350-acre site by Canadian-owned Magil Construction, involving more than 500,000 square feet of formwork and more than 32,000 cubic metres of concrete.
Steel erection is the purview of Canadian partner Steelcon.
On Oct. 28 of last year, Frank Blome, CEO of PowerCo SE, announced, “Today marks a big milestone for PowerCo Canada, as we officially mark the beginning of construction on our third and largest EV gigafactory worldwide.”
He continued, “We aim to build a global battery champion with a strong footprint in Europe and North America.”
Steelcon indicated it will deploy a dedicated team of over 500 skilled Canadian employees directly on the project, including more than 30 from London and Southwestern Ontario.
At the Dec. 11, 2025 meeting of city council, Justin Lawrence, the city’s Director of Industrial Development, advised construction of the $7 billion gigafactory is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2028.
Blome concluded the Oct. 28 announcement by stressing, “Electric vehicles are the future of the global automotive sector, and we’re proud to spearhead such a significant investment, while positioning Canada at the forefront of of innovative EV battery production.”
Written by Ian McCallum
