JE Dunn & LG Chem Break Ground on Billion-Dollar EV Battery Facility

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (Dec. 19, 2023) — JE Dunn Construction, Middle Tennessee’s largest general contractor, and LG Chem, a global science-oriented chemical company, broke ground on the new battery material manufacturing facility located in Clarksville, Tennessee. This project, kicking off with $1.6 billion injection for the first phase, represents one of the largest foreign direct investments in Tennessee’s history. When all phases complete, the electric vehicle (EV) material facility will create more than 800 jobs in the Clarksville market. 

Executives from LG Chem and JE Dunn were joined at the ceremony by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Tennessee Commissioner of Economic and Community Development Stuart McWhorter, and members of Clarksville’s local government and economic and community development board members.

LG Chem’s new facility will be the largest cathode-specific plant in the U.S., spanning 420 acres. Cathode, a compound comprised of nickel, cobalt, manganese and aluminum (NCMA), is integral to the production of electric batteries, heavily determining battery capacity and stability. By 2028, the facility is projected to produce 60,000 tons of cathode annually, which can power an estimated 0.6 million high-performance electric vehicles. Additionally, the new plant will be designed with sustainability in mind and be powered solely by renewable energy sources, solar and wind.

Construction of the first phase of the LG Chem Clarksville facility is scheduled to be completed by 2025. JE Dunn will serve as design-builder alongside partners Gresham Smith, TTL and I.C. Thomasson Associates.

 Visit jedunn.com and lgchem.com.