Irregularities are piling up in the Northvolt file. Despite the good talk from the CAQ and the Swedish start-up, something is clearly fishy.
Just last week we learned that there could be a risk of contamination of the Richelieu River and that the CEO (without registering on the lobbyist register) met Fitzgibbon even before the regulatory change to remove the project from the BAPE, unlike him previously alleged that officials helped Northvolt executives obtain their permits.
Recall that Northvolt, which stands to benefit from taxpayers' $7 billion in subsidies, suffered colossal losses of $1.4 billion in the first nine months of 2023. In addition, the company has accumulated losses and production delays of more than 12 months for its first factory in Sweden. During a period of energy deficit, the company received power blocks with a total capacity of 360 MW, most likely at a 20% discount. Since new production has to be built to supply it, Northvolt will generate losses of around one hundred million dollars per year. All electricity consumers will pay this hidden subsidy.
Immediate cessation of work
With the complicity of the Legault government, Northvolt is practicing a fait accompli policy. No fewer than a hundred bulldozers are being used to fill the wetlands on the site of the future factory.
Wetlands that were nevertheless protected from a real estate developer by the same government last year due to their high environmental value. Added to this is the fumbling with environmental regulations to exempt Northvolt from a BAPE.
Everything happens as if the Caquistes are rushing to please their business friends before they leave, knowing full well that their days are numbered.
The current rush is really suspicious. By faking ecological change, the CAQ government is practicing greenwashing. This transition is too important to be carried out hastily and in secret. An immediate cessation of work on site must be announced while the facts are being clarified.
BAPE
Only a generic BAPE from mine to battery would enable a comprehensive review of the project and an informed and shared decision. In addition to all the aspects already mentioned, it is important to locate the Northvolt factory within the entire mining battery sector.
Is this a sector with real added value? Who are the players? At what price should large blocks of electricity be sold in the event of a shortage? Where are the technological developments in terms of materials?
We cannot do without a generic BAPE across the industry. Resources are too valuable to waste on falsely good ideas.
We must not forget that electrification of transport is not a panacea. The priority must be on modal shift and therefore invest massively in public transport.
Martine Ouellet, Head of Climate Quebec, former Minister of Natural Resources