François Legault still has confidence in Northvolt

Photo: Darren Calabrese The Canadian Press The Prime Minister of Quebec, François Legault, was in Mirabel on Tuesday for an announcement related to the financing of Airbus. In the photo, he is seen at the Council of the Federation in Halifax on July 15.

Leo Mercier-Ross

Published yesterday at 7:40 p.m.

• Quebec

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After the company Northvolt announced that it was slowing down its international development plans, possibly affecting the schedule for its factory in Quebec, and despite BMW canceling a $3 billion contract with the company in June Swedish company, Prime Minister François Legault says he remains “confident” about the battery factory project currently under construction in Montérégie.

“We are going to need batteries and electric vehicles in the future,” assured the Prime Minister of Quebec on Tuesday during a visit to Mirabel for an announcement related to the financing of Airbus.

He took the opportunity to point out that part of Northvolt's financing from Quebec and Ottawa continued to be conditional on battery production. “If this did not happen, and there is no reason to believe that, the amounts invested by governments would not be there,” indicated Mr. Legault.

< p>Earlier in July, Northvolt announced slowing down its international development to concentrate its efforts on its “gigafactory” in Sweden.

The effects of this announcement on the Montérégie plant, however, remain uncertain. “Construction continues. As for project timelines, they will be among the elements that will be part of the strategic review of activities. For the moment, it is too early to rule on the decision that will be taken to this effect,” Northvolt had clarified in writing to Devoir earlier in July.

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