A Taiwan-based industrial firm is eyeing Ontario for the event of a copper foil manufacturing plant, as abroad battery supplies producers proceed to determine footholds in North America.

Lobbyists appearing on behalf of Chang Chun Petrochemical Co. have just lately engaged each the federal and provincial governments on potential financing for the potential plant, in accordance with filings with every authorities this month.

On the federal stage, 4 lobbyists with consulting agency KPMG stated they’re aiding Chang Chun with its utility to Ottawa’s Strategic Innovation Fund in help of the copper foil plant. In Ontario, the identical lobbyists have held discussions with the Ministry of Financial Improvement, Job Creation and Commerce, in addition to provincial funding company Make investments Ontario.

Chang Chun is predicated in Tapei and produces a broad vary of merchandise throughout the chemical, plastics and textile industries.

The corporate made its plans for a North American copper foil plant public in March, in response to what it described as “strong rising shopper demand” within the electrical automobile market. On the time, Chang Chun didn’t level to a location, however stated it aimed to start operations on the plant by 2026 and produce 50,000 tonnes of copper foil yearly.

Used to hold electrical present and discharge warmth, copper foil is an integral a part of lithium ion batteries.

The possible plant can be the most recent in a sequence of EV-related investments in Ontario. The province has attracted greater than $25 billion in battery provide chain spending over the previous two-and-a-half years, as automakers transition to electrical automobiles and governments and Ottawa and Washington D.C. enact insurance policies to drag battery investments into North America.

Ontario Minister of Financial Improvement, Job Creation and Commerce Vic Fedeli wouldn’t touch upon the talks with Chang Chun, however stated the province is concentrated on bringing additional battery investments, together with these in copper foil manufacturing, to Ontario.

“Our authorities continues to hunt out alternatives to advertise job progress and guarantee Ontario stays a aggressive jurisdiction,” Fedeli stated in an emailed assertion.

Whereas federal lobbying information present Chang Chun was additionally contemplating Quebec for the copper foil plant as just lately as March, filings up to date in August point out Ontario is now the one province in competition.

Innovation, Science and Financial Improvement Canada didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.