Quebec announces the creation of the “Energy Transition Valley” bringing together the cities of Trois-Rivières, Bécancour and Shawinigan.
This new innovation zone is the third recognized by the government after DistriQ, in Sherbrooke, and Technum Québec, in Bromont.
Premier François Legault was in Bécancour on Monday, along with his Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy, Pierre Fitzgibbon, and Federal Minister François-Philippe Champagne.
They declared that the objective is to accelerate the development of three strategic sectors: the battery sector, the electrification of transport and the production of green hydrogen.
To support research in this zone of innovation, the Quebec government is allocating $5 million to the Fonds de recherche du Québec–Nature et technologies (FRQNT).
An amount of 3 million is also granted to the “Vallée de la transition energetics” organization for governance, while $317,000 will be used to study infrastructure projects.
Françoi Legault also announced a loan of $152 million to Ultium CAM, a limited partnership of General Motors and POSCO, for the construction of a production plant for battery materials in Bécancour.
This plant will specialize in the production of active materials for cathodes, the key component of the lithium-ion battery found in electric cars.
Estimated at more than $600 million, the project should create some 200 jobs in the region.