South Korean battery maker SK Innovation will begin construction on a second electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility in Commerce, Ga., in July.
The announcement is a part of the company's $1.67 billion investment in the state, according to a May 4 news release by Gov. Brian Kemp, stating the company will create more than 2,000 jobs.
SK Innovation broke ground on its first plant in Georgia, which is still under construction, in March 2019. The second facility will be constructed on the same site, the release said.
"I want to thank SK innovation for their continued investment in Georgia," Kemp said in the release. "As we navigate the changing landscape of our economy, this news could not come at a better time."
"While the global community faces challenging times, SK innovation believes it is important to continue making strategic investments to drive economic growth and meaningful change," Kim Jun, president and CEO of SK Innovation said in the release. "With this investment, SK innovation's battery business will significantly contribute to not only the local Georgia economy, but the development of the U.S. EV industry value chain and ecosystem."
SK declined requests for further comment by Plastics News, including whether it will have its own plastics manufacturing in house for battery parts.
"When both facilities are complete in 2023, SK innovation will have the capacity to produce batteries for 310,000 electric vehicles per year to help meet consumer demand," the release said. "When complete, the Georgia location will be among the facilities in Europe and Asia that give SK innovation a projected annual global capacity of 71 gigawatt hours, making it one of the leading makers of EV batteries in the world.
"The proposed manufacturing plant will be constructed in two phases: Each phase will add approximately 1,000,000 square feet of manufacturing space," it added.