SK On-Ford JV officially breaks ground on battery manufacturing campus in Kentucky

- BlueOval SK celebrates groundbreaking for BlueOval SK Battery Park housing two EV battery plants

- The $5.8 billion, 1,500-acre campus to bolster North American battery production, supply chain

SK On, a leading electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturer, announced today that its joint venture with American auto giant Ford Motor Company has officially broken ground of an EV battery manufacturing campus in the state of Kentucky.

BlueOval SK, the JV between SK On and Ford, held a groundbreaking ceremony for BlueOval SK Battery Park in Glendale, Kentucky, on Dec. 5 (EST) with around 250 state and local officials, residents and business leaders in attendance.

The attendees include SK Group Executive Vice Chairman Chey Jae-won, SK On CEO Jee Dong-seob, BlueOval SK CEO David Hahm, Dave Nowicki, director of manufacturing for Ford EV Sites, Liliana Ramirez, global director of Ford workforce development and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear.

BlueOval SK Battery Park encompasses twin EV battery plants boasting production capacity of approximately 40gigawatt hours (GWh) each. BlueOval SK Battery Park is scheduled to churn out batteries powering future Ford and Lincoln electric vehicles starting from 2025.

The US$5.8 billion, 1,500-acre campus will create jobs for 5,000 people who will receive training at the all-new Elizabethtown Community and Technical College (ECTC) BlueOval SK Training Center on the site.

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

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

“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,” said Lisa Drake, vice president, Ford EV Industrialization, “Ford is building on more than a century of investment in Kentucky and its incredible workforce.” 

“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 Gov. Andy Beshear said.

BlueOval SK Battery Park is expected to play a pivotal role for both SK On and Ford expanding their leadership in the North American EV market.

With construction of BlueOval SK Battery Park on schedule, Ford – America’s No. 2 EV brand – will get closer to its target of producing an annual run rate of two million electric vehicles globally by 2026.

SK On, currently the world’s No. 5 battery maker, will see a big boost in its North American battery production through BlueOval SK plants.

In addition to BlueOval SK Battery Park, BlueOval SK is building another mega campus called BlueOval City in Stanton, Tennessee. The nearly 6-square-mile complex includes a battery plant, an EV assembly plant, and supplier facilities that are scheduled to go online from 2025.

In total, three BlueOval SK battery plants are expected to produce more than 120 GWh annually.  

Combining the BlueOval SK plants with SK On’s two other EV battery plants built in Georgia, the South Korean battery maker will be able to produce 150 GWh annually in the U.S. alone. Consequently, this will enable SK On to exceed the goal of securing 200 GWh production capacity per year across the globe by 2025.   <END>