(Québec) Devant la débâcle de Northvolt, François Legault admet qu’il n’y a « rien de sûr » dans la filière batterie et que « ce qui compte, c’est la moyenne au bâton ». Il « garde espoir » que l’usine québécoise de l’entreprise suédoise sortira de terre.
« Il y a 20 entreprises dans la filière batterie [au Québec] and one of the approaches that we must have in economics is to diversify our risk. So, we have a risk that is calculated, there is nothing certain neither with Northvolt nor with Ford nor with [General Motor] “, conceded the Prime Minister on Thursday in a press scrum.
“When you want to develop, you have to take risks and what counts is the batting average,” said Mr. Legault before the question period.
The Legault government has been on the defensive since the Swedish giant has been struggling. In a liquidity crisis, Northvolt has pulled the plug on a major project in Sweden.
Quebec has so far invested $700 million in public funds to finance the construction of a mega-factory in Montérégie and could provide an additional $300 million when the factory is under construction. The opposition is hot on the government’s heels and fears that Quebecers will never see their money again.
This difficult context also led to a meeting on Tuesday between the Minister of Economy and Energy, Christine Fréchette, and the CEO of Northvolt North America, Paolo Cerruti. At the end of the day, she indicated that she had been reassured by the company, and that she no longer feared its bankruptcy at all.
“I continue to have hope that the factory will be built in Quebec by Northvolt. Northvolt has an extraordinary product, [elle] has shareholders like BMW. I am confident that it will happen, but nothing is ever certain in economics, I learned that in business,” said Mr. Legault.
According to him, the increase in electric cars on the roads justifies Quebec’s massive investments. “I am convinced that in a few years, all those who are complaining will say bravo for having invested in the battery sector,” assured Mr. Legault.
Northvolt is still completing preparatory work. According to the schedule set out in a presentation released in the spring, the company is already several months behind schedule for the start of construction of the first part of its battery cell factory.
The Swedish manufacturer, which took longer than expected to obtain certain permits, was due to begin construction in the middle of the second quarter of next year – around May. Quebec is anticipating delays of up to 18 months.
With Julien Arseneault and Charles Lecavalier, The Press