March 12, 2026: NextStar Energy has formally opened what it said is Canada’s first and only commercial-scale advanced battery manufacturing company.

The March 5 ceremony in Ontario followed last month’s announcement that LG Energy Solution planned to buy the 49% stake held in NextStar by auto giant joint venture partner Stellantis.

More than C$5 billion ($3.7 billion) has been invested in the facility to date.

The site has already produced more than one million battery cells since production began in November 2025 – three years after the start of construction.

LG said NextStar aims to become Canada’s leading provider of battery cells to power everything from AI datacenters to municipal and provincial utility grids, as well as e-commerce and technology infrastructure.

David Kim, LG’s CEO, said: “When (we) decided to become the sole owner of NextStar Energy, we did so with absolute confidence. As Canada’s first large-scale battery manufacturing facility, NextStar Energy will play a critical role in powering the nation’s next chapter of electrification.”