Shelbyville Battery Manufacturing to produce utility-scale batteries
The largest economic development project in Shelby County history is projected to begin operations later this year manufacturing utility-scale batteries.
Shelbyville Battery Manufacturing, a subsidiary of e-Storage, plans to invest $712 million on a 1 million-square-foot plant to be served by Shelby Energy Cooperative.
“We are proud to be a part of the growing energy technology transformation across the U.S., and we are thrilled to announce our investment in a new, state-of-the-art industrial battery cell, module and packaging plant,” says Colin Parkin, president of e-Storage. “This new plant will allow us to provide our U.S. customers with cutting-edge, American-made battery energy storage products.”
The large battery systems are marketed to utility companies and project developers nationwide. Solar and wind farms can charge the systems when the sun is shining and wind is blowing, then discharge during short-term demand surges and to stabilize grid fluctuations. Lithium-ion batteries can typically discharge power for two to four hours.
The president and CEO of Shelby Energy, Jack Bragg, says the project will have a major impact on the region: “We are so excited to welcome Shelbyville Battery Manufacturing into our Shelby Energy and Kentucky’s Touchstone Energy Cooperatives family. From the company’s initial visits to Shelbyville, we knew right away that the synergies and timings associated with the project were aligning to help bring this transformational project to fruition in Shelby County.”
In addition to manufacturing, the company also plans an on-site research and development lab, fostering collaboration with universities to further its technologies.
The projected workforce of 1,500 people would make Shelbyville Battery Manufacturing the largest employer in Shelby County, according to Shelbyville Mayor Troy Ethington.
“This is transformative,” Ethington says. “First and foremost, the creation of over 1,500 well-paying jobs will provide new opportunities for our residents, attracting talented individuals and families to our community. Shelbyville continues to become one of the fastest growing communities in the commonwealth, and we’ve been preparing for a moment like this.”
Canadian origins
e-Storage is a subsidiary of Canadian Solar, Inc., founded in 2001 by Shawn Qu, who initially envisioned building a small company to focus on renewable energy sources. Based in Ontario, the company is now a worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and integration of battery energy storage systems for utility-scale applications.
“We made sacrifices to grow our research, our idea, and build up the enterprise little by little,” Qu explains. “While it was quite a struggle, it also taught us good things can happen to people who struggle and who work hard. From a humble start, we have grown our company to a global company with $7.6 billion revenues last year and employees spread out around the world.”
