ISUZU ANTICIPATES NORTH AMERICAN EV INTEREST
To prepare for the future of commercial vehicle electrification, Isuzu Motors is heading to South Carolina to establish a new 1-million-sq.-ft. facility to ensure ample supply is on hand. The company will invest $280 million into its 200-acre Greenville County site, which will produce internal combustion engine vehicles and electric vehicles. Isuzu’s variable-model, variable-volume production line caters to the company’s N-series Gas, N-Series Electric and F-Series Diesel trucks. “Isuzu carefully considered numerous factors when deciding where to locate its new production base,” said Isuzu North America Corporation President Noboru Murakami. “We found everything that we wanted and more in the state of South Carolina and Greenville County: a supportive business environment, excellent access to transportation, proximity to the Port of Charleston, an excellent labor pool, a skilled workforce being produced by nearby colleges, and the benefits of joining a large and growing automotive production base.” By 2030, annual production capacity at the plant will reach 50,000 units. This will be Isuzu’s first facility to convert to a conveyor-less, pit-less system to increase the operation’s flexibility and future scalability. Operations are set to begin in 2027, creating 700 new jobs.
Photo courtesy of MPLX
ENERGY EN ROUTE FROM TEXAS CITY
Gas and oil midstream operator Oneok and midstream energy pipeline transportation company MPLX have partnered on a new JV set to be located in Texas City, Texas. The JV will introduce a $1.4 billion liquefied petroleum gas export terminal, which will additionally bring a 24-inch pipeline project that connects to Oneok’s storage facility 45 miles away in Mont Belvieu. MPLX parent company Marathon’s existing operations will reduce construction time and the cost of the project dubbed Texas City Logistics LLC. The facility is anticipated to load 400,000 barrels per day of liquefied petroleum gas by 2028, consisting of low ethane propane and normal butane, 200,000 barrels of which will are reserved for customers of Oneok and MPLX. The $350 pipeline project, named MBTC Pipeline LLC, will be majority owned by Oneok at 80%, while the remaining 20% will be owned by MPLX. “We are excited to collaborate with MPLX on these strategically located projects which expand and extend our NGL value chain providing additional optionality and value to our customers,” said Oneok President and CEO Pierce H. Norton II. “Given our high expectations for future growth and demand for more energy infrastructure, including export capacity, these projects with MPLX complement our disciplined capital allocation strategy.”
Photo courtesy of Lenovo
SAUDI ARABIA GAINS NEW TECHNOLOGY
China-based technology manufacturer Lenovo Group and Saudi Public Investment Fund conglomerate Alat have broken ground for the duo’s new production facility located in Saudi Arabia’s capital city Riyadh. Located in the Special Integrated Logistics Zone, the 2.1-million-sq.-ft. plant will produce a range of laptops, desktops and servers. Construction will take place over 2025 with operations set to open in 2026, enabling Lenovo to reach customers in global markets more efficiently. To support the company’s overall $2 billion investment in the Kingdom, Lenovo will also establish a regional Middle East and African HQ in the city with plans to expand R&D investments and create a flagship retail space. “Through this powerful strategic collaboration and investment with Alat, we gain greater global presence, a strong regional foothold and the ability to capitalize on the incredible growth momentum in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East and African region,” said Lenovo CEO Yuanqing Yang. The partnership between Lenovo and Alat is projected to create up to 15,000 direct jobs and up to 45,000 indirect jobs.
Reports compiled and written by Alexis Elmore
