Syensqo site launches new mission with electric car industry
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Mayor Garnett L. Johnson was on hand Thursday as ground was broken on what will become the largest electric vehicle battery materials site in North America.
Syensqo, previously part of longtime local employer Solvay, will make polyvinylidene fluoride, a type of plastic.
The product lets electric vehicles go farther on each charge, extends battery life and improves battery safety, according to the company.
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“Today, as Syensqo inaugurates the development of this facility in Augusta, we are translating our ambitions to help protect our planet and advance humanity into action,” said company CEO Ilham Kadri.
Also at the groundbreaking was Tom Perez, senior adviser and assistant to President Joe Biden and director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.
Johnson said he’s excited about the “addition of quality jobs by a company that will serve the community for years to come.”
When complete, the operation at Solvay’s specialty polymers plant near Tobacco Road and Mike Padgett Highway will be the largest PVDF production facility in North America.
It will make enough PVDF for more than 5 million EV batteries per year at full capacity.
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The facility also represents a more than $178 million investment by the Department of Energy and a supply chain investment of over $850 million as well as the creation of 500 local construction jobs and 100 highly skilled jobs, with potentially more than 500 indirect jobs created.
“Augusta-Richmond County remains invested in bringing new industry to the area as well as expanding existing industries,” Johnson said.
Syensqo is investing $1 million to help develop the workforce by expanding access to training for economically disadvantaged, underrepresented and rural communities.
As part of that investment, Syensqo will make contributions to local higher education institutions, including Augusta Technical College.
“Working together, governments, automakers, and materials providers are helping this vital region continue to grow and become a center of the EV revolution,” said Mike Finelli, chief technology and innovation officer and chief North American officer at the company. “Syensqo’s new facility will provide a reliable supply of EV materials, giving the industry access to a robust domestic supply chain.”
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