Vianode has begun site preparation for its new synthetic graphite facility in St. Thomas, Ontario. The Norwegian company plans to invest $3.2 billion in the plant, named Via TWO, which will supply up to 150,000 tonnes of synthetic graphite per year by 2028. The material is used in EV batteries and energy storage systems. Vianode expects the project to create 300 jobs in its first phase and up to 1,000 at full capacity.
The facility will be located in the Yarmouth Yards industrial park, next to Volkswagen’s PowerCo battery factory. Vianode selected the site for its proximity to automotive customers, access to Ontario’s clean electricity grid, and government support. The Ontario government has committed up to $670 million in loans, pending a final agreement.
Via TWO is designed to produce low-emission synthetic graphite using proprietary technology that reduces CO₂ emissions by up to 90% compared to traditional methods. Each EV battery requires up to 100 kg of graphite, and the Ontario plant is expected to supply enough material for about two million vehicles per year. Vianode’s long-term goal is to support battery production for three million EVs annually by 2030.
In Norway, Vianode began synthetic graphite production at its Kristiansand Technology Center in 2021 and commissioned its first commercial plant, Via ONE, at Herøya in 2024. Vianode also received €90 million in EU Innovation Fund support to expand European production and is partnering with Fortum in Finland to recycle graphite from spent batteries.
It does not seem like Vianode has withdrawn from its European plans. However, the scale of the Canadian investment, its alignment with U.S. policy incentives, and a supply agreement with General Motors suggest that North America is currently a growth priority. CEO Burkhard Straube has said that while the EU has set up regulatory frameworks such as the Critical Raw Materials Act, financial support for scale-up remains less competitive compared to North America.
For Europe, this signals growing pressure. Even EU-backed firms are directing major expansion efforts abroad. If Europe cannot improve its investment climate, more companies may prioritise markets offering better incentives and lower regulatory risk. European buyers may face limited local supply growth unless conditions change.
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