Groundbreaking held for $800M EV battery plant in Florence County

June 28, 2023 | SC Biz News

Groundbreaking was held Wednesday June 7 for a new $800 million electric vehicle battery plant in Florence County.

AESC, a battery technology company based in Japan, held the ceremony on-site at the plant’s future location in Florence County. Jeff Deaton, managing director of AESC U.S. attended, along with local and state officials attended.

With construction of the 1.5 million square foot plant underway, commercial operations are expected to start in 2026, creating 1,170 new jobs for the local community, according to a news release.

“This groundbreaking marks another major milestone in AESC’s commitment to investing in South Carolina and manufacturing electric vehicle batteries,” Deaton said. “AESC continues to be a global leader in developing next generation EV battery technology, and we’re proud to be further growing our capacity to build those products in U.S. facilities, accelerating the transition to clean energy transportation.”

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The new 30 GWh battery plant builds on AESC’s existing battery manufacturing network that includes a plant in operation in Tennessee and another plant under construction in Kentucky. Collectively, AESC’s U.S. plants upon completion will provide up to 70 GWh capacity annually, powering the shift to electric vehicles with U.S.-made batteries and components.

The AESC Florence site supports the Company’s multi-year partnership with BMW Group, which was announced in October 2022. Under the agreement, AESC will supply battery cells for next generation electric vehicle models produced at BMW’s Spartanburg plant. The advanced battery format will result in 20% higher energy density than the current generation, with reduced charging time and increased range and efficiency of 30%.

The new manufacturing plant will be completely powered by clean energy. The company will implement renewable energy generation, carbon management and reduction software and a battery recycling system to accelerate carbon neutrality throughout the battery value chain.

“AESC’s groundbreaking marks a historic day for Florence County and its residents, as it will bring an abundance of high paying jobs to our community,” said Florence County Council Chairman Willard Dorriety. “We know AESC will be a vital and active partner in the county for decades to come.”

AESC, formerly Envision AESC, has more than 5,000 employees and 13 manufacturing sites across Japan, the U.S., the United Kingdom, France, Spain, and China

Individuals interested in joining the AESC team in Florence should visit readySC’s recruitment website to explore opportunities. Companies interested in becoming a supplier for AESC should complete S.C. Commerce’s online interest form.