Renewable Data Arrives in the Sandhills
Meta has announced its official arrival in South Carolina with a planned $800 million data center. The Sage Mill Industrial Park, located in Aiken County, will soon be home to the 715,000-sq.-ft. data center which will run on 100% renewable energy. “We are excited to make Aiken County our new home and are committed to playing a positive role here and investing in the community’s long-term vitality,” said Meta Data Center Strategy Director Kevin Janda. “South Carolina stood out as an outstanding location for our newest data center thanks to its great access to infrastructure and energy, deep pool of talent, and amazing community partners.” The facility is anticipated to be operational by 2027, creating 100 new jobs.
Linde joins Dow Canada’s Path2Zero project to aid in carbon capture.
Photo courtesy of Linde
Canada Cleans Up Carbon
Ireland-based chemicals company Linde has joined Dow’s Fort Saskatchewan Path2Zero Project in Alberta, Canada, with plans to construct largest clean hydrogen production facility in the province. Upon signing an agreement with Dow in August 2024, Linde will begin construction of the $2 billion production facility. The plant will use autothermal reforming in combination with Linde’s HISORP® carbon capture technology to produce hydrogen, while additionally recovering hydrogen contained in Dow’s ethylene cracker. The project is expected to begin production in 2028, capturing 2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide for sequestration annually.
Eli Lilly’s Medicine Foundry aims to develop innovative solutions for clinical trial medicines.
Rendering courtesy of Eli Lilly and Company
Billion-Dollar Drug Development
Afresh $4.5 billion will go toward the establishment of the Eli Lilly Foundry in Lebanon, Indiana, by late 2027. The advanced manufacturing and drug development center will be housed in the state’s LEAP Research and Innovation District and focus on the production of different molecular therapies. This activity will include producing drug substances for small molecules, biologics and nucleic acid therapies, according to a press release. This investment comes months after the company invested $5.3 billion in the expansion of its pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Lebanon, solidifying more than $13 billion invested in the state in 2024. New developments made at the center will be integrated into the company’s various manufacturing facilities to move into full-scale production. Once complete, the center will look to create 400 new jobs.
A new expansion project takes a strategic focus to support the growth of Arzyz Metals’ workforce.
Photo courtesy of Arzyz Metals
A Sturdy Expansion
Metals company Arzyz Metals will invest $650 million to expand its manufacturing facility located in Nuevo Leon, Mexico. The Mexico-based company has made the move in an effort to not only boost its workforce but to introduce a new R&D center on its Cienega de Flores site. “This park that we are going to build has a technical school for our people, a day care center for our people, a research and development center to improve our people, so much of our focus is investing in machines and people,” said Arzyz Metals General Manager Mario Sergio Ramírez-Zablah Limón. The project will grow the company’s status as the one of the country’s top recycled aluminum manufacturers. Nuevo Leon Governor Samuel García noted that the expansion project has the potential to create up to 1,300 new jobs in the region.
Production issues with GM’s Ultium platform have sparked new investment for the battery cell manufacturing rebrand.
Rendering courtesy of General Motors
A Test to New Charging Capabilities
A $145 million battery cell prototype center will join General Motors Global Technical Center about 25 minutes outside of Detroit, Michigan. Construction of the new 165,000-sq.-ft. facility is set to begin before the end of 2024 in the city of Warren, with completion slated for 2027. The addition will help GM increase EV battery cell development while lowering costs and increasing manufacturing efficiency. “This capability really sets GM apart from our competitors,” said GM Vice President of Battery Cell and Pack Kurt Kelty. “By adding production capability during battery cell development, we can take more manageable steps and more quickly streamline processes, understand costs and identify potential issues that may come up in production.” As operations begin, the site is anticipated to produce 3,600 battery cells annually for EV battery prototypes (not for mass production).
The new facility will provide the company space to fabricate, outfit and transport new submarine components.
Photo courtesy of Austal Limited
Austal Aids Deep Dives
U pon receiving a $450 million contract award from General Dynamic Electric Boat, shipbuilding company Austal USA will look to expand production capacity and improve infrastructure at its Mobile, Alabama, shipyard. The company will also construct a new module fabrication and outfitting facility as it aims to produce a Columbia-class and two Virginia-class submarines per year for the U.S. Navy. “General Dynamics Electric Boat has recognized that Austal USA is a solid partner to deliver high-quality components for Virginia- and Columbia-class submarines. This growing partnership demonstrates confidence in Austal USA’s commitment to meet the needs of the U.S. maritime industrial base and support the most critical needs of the U.S. Navy,” said Austal Limited CEO Paddy Gregg. Construction on the site will begin in 2024 and wrap in 2026, creating 1,000 new jobs in the region.
