ASCENSION PARISH — An Australian mining company is eyeing Ascension Parish for a $480 million high-purity manganese sulfate monohydrate production facility. It’s a lot of words but simply put HPMSM is a critical component in electric vehicle batteries.
If Element 25 moves forward with building their facility in Ascension Parish, it would be the first facility in the Western Hemisphere to create the EV battery materials.
The company says the project will bring 220 jobs with annual salaries of more than $90,000. Louisiana Economic Development estimates show the project should have another 400 indirect jobs.
“Element 25 is excited to consider Louisiana in progressing our vision to build the first new HPMSM facility outside of China to supply the EV transition,” Element 25 Limited MD Justin Brown said. “The attractive incentives offered by the state fast tracked approvals processes and the far-reaching impact of the Inflation Reduction Act, has moved Louisiana to the number one location for Element 25’s first HPMSM facility, with other developments expected to follow.”
A final location for the facility in Ascension Parish has not been made public. If approved, construction could begin in the third quarter of 2023 with a targeted completion date of 2026.
“Ascension Parish has an exceptional workforce, robust infrastructure and a thriving business community,” said Ascension Parish President Clint Cointment. “We’re pleased that these compelling location attributes led Element 25 to consider Ascension for their first United States manufacturing plant. This project would provide a remarkable amount of local employment opportunities in a growing sector of the clean energy industry.”
What the incentive package contains
Louisiana has offered Element 25 a $6 million performance-based grant for infrastructure expenditures, contingent upon the company meeting employment and payroll targets.
The company is also expected to apply for the state’s Quality Jobs and Industrial Tax Exemption programs.
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