BlueOval SK has broken ground on its new battery manufacturing facility in Kentucky. A joint venture between Ford and SK On, BlueOval SK has invested $5.8 billion into the project, which will be operational in 2025 and create 5,000 new jobs. According to Ford, BlueOval SK Battery Park will house two plants that are collectively capable of producing more than 80 gigawatt hours annually.
In a recent quote, Jee Dong-seob, SK On president and CEO, said, “BlueOval SK Battery Park will be at the core of the electrification of the North American auto market. We expect SK On and Ford’s leadership in the global electric vehicle market to be solidified through BlueOval SK.”
New employees will be trained at the Elizabethtown Community and Technical College (ECTC), which will also be located at the site. According to Ford, the ECTC, which will cost $25 million to create, is the only co-branded learning facility within the Kentucky Community College System.
”At BlueOval SK Battery Park, we’re building the future – state-of-the-art batteries for future Ford and Lincoln electric vehicles and a bright future for the workforce in Kentucky,” said David Hahm, BlueOval SK CEO. “In order to produce these batteries, we need a premier workforce that is trained in the latest battery and advanced manufacturing technology.”
