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Construction on Windsor’s $6-billion NextStar Energy battery plant is officially finished.

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The company announced Tuesday that Canada’s first large-scale battery manufacturing facility has received its occupancy permit, which marks the end of construction.

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“This achievement is the direct result of a shared vision, effective partnership, and incredible hard work of everyone involved,” said Danies Lee, CEO of NextStar Energy. “As we transition from construction to operations, I am deeply grateful for the collaboration between our partner companies LG Energy Solution and Stellantis, our construction partner Alberici-Barton Malow, the City of Windsor, the provincial and federal governments, and all who have supported our project to be completed safely and on schedule.”

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The company said minor construction activities continue in non-operational areas, but the facility is fully approved for safe occupancy and ready for production.

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Battery module manufacturing began in 2024. Mass production of battery cells is expected to start this year.

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NextStar Energy said it has hired more than 950 full-time employees so far, and remains committed to the goal of creating 2,500 direct local jobs at the facility.

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Unifor Local 444 announced in July that NextStar employees ratified their first collective agreement, which took six months to hammer out with the company.

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A six-month study from Workforce WindsorEssex earlier this year found that the plant will create at least 2,500 more spinoff jobs. The agency also said in March that since the announcement of the NextStar Plant, there has been another $1.3 billion worth of investments and record population growth.

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Construction of the 4.23 million-square-foot facility, a joint venture by LG Energy Solution and Stellantis, began in 2022.

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The cost to build the plant was initially estimated at about $5 billion, but inflation has pushed the price tag past $6 billion.

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The companies said more than 9,000 Canadian trades workers contributed 8.4 million work hours to bring the project to life.

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The site currently contains 11 buildings including two main manufacturing facilities for cells and modules. The nine support buildings include a recycling centre and safety testing laboratory.

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The companies said NextStar Energy is “a state-of-the-art battery manufacturing plant” capable of an annual production capacity of up to 49.5 gigawatt hours. Core operations include electrode production, cell formation and assembly, and module assembly.