Ford breaks ground on new EV battery plant in Kentucky, USA

MANILA: Ford and SK On have broken ground at BlueOval SK Battery Park, where their joint venture – BlueOval SK – has invested $5.8 billion to develop advanced batteries for future Ford and Lincoln electric vehicles, set to begin production in 2025, creating 5,000 new jobs in Kentucky, USA.

The two battery production plants, which can produce more than 80 gigawatt hours per year, are being constructed as scheduled.

“BlueOval SK Battery Park will be at the core of the electrification of the North American auto market. We expect SK On and Ford’s leadership in the global electric vehicle market to be solidified through BlueOval SK,” SK On President and Chief Executive Officer Jee Dong-seob stated.

Ford is moving closer to its target of producing two million electric vehicles annually worldwide by the end of 2026 due to the major construction progress at BlueOval SK Battery Park.

“Ford’s roots run deep in Kentucky, and BlueOval SK is going to help Ford to lead the EV revolution, bringing thousands of new, high-tech jobs to the Bluegrass State. Ford is building on more than a century of investment in Kentucky and its incredible workforce,” Ford EV Industrialization Vice President Lisa Drake said.

5,000 new employees will be trained at the new Elizabethtown Community and Technical College (ECTC) BlueOval SK Training Center, situated on the 607-hectare BlueOval SK Battery Park site.

“At BlueOval SK Battery Park, we’re building the future – state-of-the-art batteries for future Ford and Lincoln electric vehicles and a bright future for the workforce in Kentucky. In order to produce these batteries, we need a premier workforce that is trained in the latest battery and advanced manufacturing technology,” BlueOval SK Chief Executive Officer David Hahm stated.

The ECTC BlueOval SK Training Center is the only co-branded training center within the Kentucky Community College System and represents a $25-million investment by the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

“The partnership between Kentucky and Ford dates back more than a century, to the very dawn of the automobile industry. That bond grows even stronger today as we break ground on Ford and SK On’s BlueOval SK Battery Park in Hardin County. As both the largest economic development project in our state’s history and part of the biggest investment ever by Ford, this project cements Kentucky’s status as the electric vehicle battery production capital of the United States,” Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said.

The curriculum within the 42,000 square-foot training facility will promote battery knowledge, roles, and skills. BlueOval SK will train personnel in SK On’s patented technical, quality, and production processes in the ECTC BlueOval SK Training Center’s virtual reality labs, industrial maintenance lab, work simulation lab, and ergonomics techniques classrooms.

The Kentucky Community and Technical College System will start the construction of the ECTC BlueOval SK Training Center in 2023. The training facility is expected to be completed in 2024.

To date, crews at the BlueOval SK Battery Park have transported 4.3 million cubic yards of soil, set 283,000 tons of stone, and poured 66,000 cubic yards of concrete.

The crews have also installed 3,300 tons of rebar ties to strengthen the concrete. 1,300 deep foundations, equivalent to the height of almost 60 Empire State Buildings piled end to end, were also placed. 7,900 tons of structural steel were already built.

Building on its 109-year commitment to Kentucky, Ford and its construction partners will continue to engage with Kentucky communities during the campus construction process through donations, sponsorships, and volunteer work.

Ford donated $40,000 and provided manpower from its construction partners, Barton Malow Company and Gray Construction, to the city of Glendale, where BlueOval SK Battery Park is located. The team upgraded many of the city’s parks and sidewalks, some of which had not been replaced in more than a century.

Ford’s construction partners also built handicap-accessible ramps around Glendale and funded numerous projects locally including United Way of Central Kentucky, Feeding America, and Habitat for Humanity throughout Central Kentucky. Ford increased the Glendale Volunteer Fire Department's budget by more than 50% with a donation of $42,000. This year's Glendale Crossing Festival was also sponsored by Ford.

“Ford has been a pillar of the community in Kentucky for more than a century and now, Glendale will write the next chapter,” Hardin County Schools Transition Readiness Director Lisa Slaven stated. “As an educator and member of this community, I view the building of BlueOval SK Battery Park as synonymous with creating new learning opportunities and skill sets for the careers of tomorrow for our students, our community, and Kentucky.”

Photos from Ford Motor Company

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