Battery plant in Port Colborne, Ont., to see 'minimal' impact from Honda investment withdrawal: partner

Justin Chandler · CBC News

· Posted: May 14, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 31 minutes ago

The institution down a artillery works successful Ontario's Niagara Region says it's inactive readying to commencement operations successful 2027 contempt car shaper Honda Canada postponing a $15-billion electrical conveyance concern successful the province.

A twelvemonth ago, Japanese multinational Asahi Kasei Corporation announced it would unfastened a artillery separator manufacturing installation successful Port Colborne. Separators prevent lithium-ion batteries from short-circuiting and overheating. 

When it comes to Honda's decision, "we are presently assessing the circumstantial impact, but we expect it to beryllium minimal," said Holli Hughes, a spokesperson for Polypore International, which is owned by Asahi Kasei. "The planned commencement of operations astatine the [Port Colborne] works successful 2027 remains unchanged, arsenic we person income planned for different companies."

In May 2024, Mayor Bill Steele said Asahi Kasei was making the biggest concern successful that metropolis successful a period and that the institution chose Port Colborne for reasons including its "welcoming people" and entree to rail, water, highways and the Canada-U.S. border. 

CBC Hamilton asked a Port Colborne spokesperson if the politician oregon the metropolis would comment connected the Honda announcement Tuesday but did not perceive backmost earlier publication. 

Honda inactive a spouse connected Port Colborne plant

Weeks earlier Asahi Kasei announced it would acceptable up successful Port Colborne, Honda said it would physique an EV artillery works adjacent to its Alliston, Ont., assembly works arsenic portion of an effort to nutrient EVs successful the province. 

Now, Honda Canada is postponing that program for 2 years, citing "the caller slowdown of the EV market," institution spokesperson Ken Chiu told CBC News successful an email statement. "The institution volition proceed to measure the timing and task progression arsenic marketplace conditions change."

Chiu said the intermission would person "no impact" connected existent employment oregon accumulation astatine the Alliston plant.

Honda is besides a partner connected the Niagara separator plant, having announced the concern with Asahi Kasei successful November. The 2 formed a associated task with 75 per cent of the concern coming from Asahi Kasei Battery Separator Canada Corporation and 25 per cent from Honda Canada, according to a quality release.

Asahi Kasei spokesperson Christian OKeefe said Tuesday that the associated task "remains successful place."

At the clip the works was announced, it was unclear however galore section workers it mightiness employ, with a provincial authorities spokesperson telling CBC Hamilton determination was nary warrant for Canadian jobs. 

In a November quality release, Asahi Kasei said it had started section hiring, "with much than 5 employees supporting the project's startup phase." It said the institution "is committed to section engagement and economical maturation and has begun earthworks utilizing provincial companies and contractors."

In an email to CBC Hamilton Tuesday, OKeefe said that the archetypal signifier of the task volition make "more than 300 jobs." 

Although the North American EV marketplace has slowed down, OKeefe said, the institution is committed to expanding capableness and creating jobs to conscionable aboriginal demand. "While we can't stock nonstop numbers astatine this stage, we volition proceed moving with assemblage partners to place qualified section talent."

On Tuesday, Asahi Kasei was scheduled to clasp assemblage accusation sessions astatine the Vale Health and Wellness Centre successful Port Colborne from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. In a nationalist notice, it said locals would conscionable with institution representatives to larn much astir the task and vocation opportunities.