The structure of a primary battery production complex in Queen Creek, announced last year through South Korea’s LG Energy Solution, is on track to be completed in two years, with the first being the Battery Manufacturing Complex in Queen Creek.
Construction of a primary battery production complex at Queen Creek, announced last year through South Korea’s LG Energy Solution, is on track to be completed in two years and the first phase of contracting is expected to begin later this year, executives said. Wednesday.
The company provided updates on the progress of its $5. 5 billion standalone facility at a stakeholder assembly Wednesday at Combs High School in the San Tan Valley, near the complex’s location at Ironwood and Pecos roads, according to a Queen Creek news outlet.
LGES will be located along the State Route 24 corridor in the northern part of Queen Creek. The region offers many opportunities for businesses to locate near LGES in Queen Creek, taking advantage of the workforce, regional connectivity, population growth, and other assets.
Queen Creek has a variety of zoned, structural, and serviced sites available for development. Another 392,000 square feet of soft commercial speculation is recently under construction, is expected to be completed this summer and is located about a mile from the LGES complex, according to the release.
Attendees at the LGES stakeholder assembly included business leaders, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, and local dignitaries.
During the event, Hobbs announced the creation of the new battery-focused Future48 Workforce Accelerator, which will be at Apache Junction in partnership with Pinal County, the Arizona Trade Authority, Central Arizona College and McCarthy Construction.
“This transformative investment will have a lasting effect not only in Arizona, but across the country and bring us even closer to our blank energy goals,” Hobbs said. “These are long-term jobs, and the State of Arizona is committed to being an active spouse to ensure Arizonans have the skills they want to fill those jobs. “
Queen Creek Mayor Julia Wheatley said the “monumental project” will create a “positive ripple effect for the region and the state, generating local jobs, infrastructure and capital investment. LGES is paving our Advanced Manufacturing Corridor; We are very excited to welcome them to the community. ” We appreciate their partnership and appreciate the coordination of the county and state.
Mike Goodman, chairman of the Pinal County Board of Supervisors, said having a major employer like LGES in the domain will be especially vital for his county where “we see about 80% of our citizens driving to other counties every day for work. “. »
“We also recognize the desire to create educational opportunities to help those new cutting-edge roles, which is why we’re excited to collaborate with Central Arizona College on the creation of the Future48 Workforce Accelerator at the Superstition Mountain campus in Apache Junction,” Goodman said. “This state-of-the-art educational center will equip our workforce with state-of-the-art mandatory clinical knowledge. “
The Queen Creek LGES complex is comprised of two production facilities that are the company’s first stand-alone cylindrical battery and ESS plants in North America. The cylindrical battery plant, called LG Energy Solution Arizona, will produce 46 batteries in the electric vehicle series.
“As the company plans to mass-produce the first Series 46 batteries at its plant in Ochan, South Korea, in the second part of this year, which is a first among the world’s leading battery manufacturers, LG Energy Solution Arizona is expected to continue its momentum and production capacity,” the press release notes.
ESS’s battery production plant, called LG Energy Solution Arizona ESS, will produce lithium iron phosphate bag-type batteries for electric garage systems. It is one of the world’s first ESS-only battery production facilities.
By establishing its independent ESS battery factory in North America, LG Energy Solution said in the press release that it aims to meet the growing demand for manufactured batteries in a timely manner, based on the United States’ blank power policies.
Once fully operational, the complex’s average annual generation capacity is expected to reach a combined 53 gigawatt hours.
During updates on the structure and site progress on Wednesday, Richard Ra, president of LG Energy Solution Arizona, said the task has been on track since construction of the floor began in November, with initial site fixes finished and metal beams now in place.
If the structure progresses as planned, the cylindrical EV battery production plant is expected to be completed by the end of 2025 and the installation of LFP bag ESS batteries the following year.
Once the structure is complete, any of the facilities are expected to begin production in 2026. To ensure the quality that will work in the production complex, the company will also be dedicated to hiring and nurturing the next generation of battery professionals in the region, creating several thousand people. . New job.
“We expect the recruitment of members of our [launch team] to begin later this year, and for large-scale recruitment to continue from the second part of 2025,” Ra said.
Brian Oh, head of LG Energy Solution’s IT Mobility and Batteries department, said the Queen Creek complex “has something special for us. “
“This is the second standalone facility built in the United States. And it’s also the first production facility to produce cylindrical batteries in the U. S. “I’m looking at the U. S. ,” Oh said. This is where we can make quality cylindrical batteries, which will be used to force millions of electric vehicles. I am thrilled to know that this historic task here at Queen Creek will create thousands of new high-quality jobs that will build a green economy.
Hyung Kim, head of ESS’s Battery Division, said that “there is no better position to build the source of our sustainable energy here in Arizona, where abundant solar power surrounds the region. Quality batteries manufactured here in the Copper State will succeed in each and every corner of America to supply electricity.
Sandra Watson, president and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority, said she and stakeholders are grateful to Ra and the rest of the LG Energy Solution team for their continued commitment to Arizona, adding the creation of the Future48 Workforce Accelerator.
“LG Energy Solution’s new facility, which represents one of the largest green energy projects in the country, will be the backbone of Arizona’s developing battery production industry while creating thousands of new jobs,” Watson said.
LG Energy Solution has a standalone facility in Michigan, built a decade ago and recently expanding, which would quintuple its average annual production capacity. The company also has five other joint ventures in the U. S. It is a major U. S. automaker, as well as General Motors, Honda, and Hyundai. Engine Group.
To learn more about the LGES interactive mapping tool at Queen Creek, visit
https://investtheqc. com/industrial/.