| Sourced from 4 independent sources (5 reports) · 1 point in dispute |
CBC, MarketWatch, Europe Says, and Newswire
Sources agree on most key facts but differ on 1 point.
10 key facts · 8 corroborated · 1 disputed
Where sources differ
The expected number of jobs the project will create.
CBC: The project is expected to create more than 100 jobs.
Europe Says: The facility is expected to create 100 permanent skilled jobs.
Newswire: The facility is expected to create over 100 permanent skilled jobs.
Why some reports were counted once
Europe Says and St. Albert Gazette — the same Canadian Press report, counted once.
When several outlets publish the identical article — most often because they all ran the same wire story from an agency like The Canadian Press — we count it as one source, not several. That keeps our source count a measure of independent reporting, not how widely a single story was syndicated.
Allegations described here are not proven in court unless stated.
Hitachi Energy Canada is making a $479-million investment in London, Ont., with plans for a new transformer insulation factory that places a specialised piece of electricity infrastructure manufacturing closer to home.
The 21,000-square-metre facility is expected to be completed in 2028 and create more than 100 jobs in London. Hitachi Energy says it will build the plant in the city’s Huron Industrial Park, according to CBC News.
A new manufacturing capability
The London project will establish Canada’s first transformer pressboard manufacturing line. It will produce electrical insulation pressboard and laminates, materials used in transformer production and operation.
It will also be Hitachi Energy’s first facility of its kind in the Americas, giving the company a new North American base for this part of the transformer supply chain.
The company says the facility will be able to produce up to 20,000 tonnes of transformer pressboard each year, CBC reported.
For Hitachi Energy, the project is intended to address a supply-chain pressure point as electricity systems require more equipment to meet rising demand and modernization needs.
“Today we are in a situation where the industry for transformer manufacturing is going at a very high speed, but not all the industrial parts are going at the same speed,” Bruno Melles, chief executive of Hitachi’s transformers business unit, said ahead of the announcement.
“This is why we want to give a strong message to the market and say, ‘We want to be an integral part of the supply chain resilience and we are going to invest in order to ensure that the market is not going to have any shortage.’”
Governments provide $50 million
The project has received $50 million in combined federal and Ontario government support.
Ottawa is contributing $30 million, including $20 million through the Strategic Response Fund and $10 million through Natural Resources Canada. Ontario is providing up to $20 million through the Invest Ontario Fund.
The public support is directed at a facility that both the company and governments frame as part of a broader effort to strengthen North America’s transformer supply chain.
Ontario Energy and Mines Minister Stephen Lecce said the investment fits within the province’s energy plans.
“Ontario is leading the largest energy buildout on the continent as part of our Integrated Energy Plan,” Lecce said in a statement.
Responding to grid demand
Transformers are a central component of electricity infrastructure, and the London facility is meant to help meet growing electricity demand and grid modernization needs.
Carla Vicente, managing country director of Hitachi Energy Canada, said having the factory operating by the end of 2028 would help the company respond to increasing demand for transformers.
“Electricity demand in Canada is growing at an unprecedented pace, something we’ve never seen before,” Vicente said in an interview. “By ensuring that we have this factory operational by the end of 2028, we will be able to respond to the higher needs and demand for the transformers that are an essential part of anything that we want to do to be able to electrify.”
Part of a wider commitment
The London investment is one piece of a larger North American push by Hitachi Energy. The company says the facility is part of its commitment to invest more than $2 billion to bolster the North American supply chain through 2027.
Vicente said the London factory reflects a longer-term commitment to Canadian manufacturing and the infrastructure required for an expanding electricity system.
“The investment reflects our long-term commitment to Canadian industry, talent and innovation,” she said.
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