BILLIONS BACK NEW JAPAN TRADE COMMITMENT
Japan-based internet services giant Softbank Group and leading public utility company American Electric Power (AEP) are teaming up to deliver a massive 10-gigawatt (GW) artificial intelligence data center campus in Ohio. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, this investment is a steppingstone in deepening trade ties between the United States and Japan. A federally owned site in Pike County, Ohio, will house future operations of what is expected to become one of the world’s largest data center developments. The Portsmouth site once served as a prime location for enriched uranium production used for weapons. The site’s remnants have seen billions of dollars invested in decontamination to renew its facilities. Softbank subsidiary SB Energy is expected to connect a 9.2-GW gas plant to the local grid to provide power to the new data center campus, in addition to investing $4.2 billion to aid AEP in upgrading and expanding transmission lines in southern Ohio. As part of Japan’s greater $550 billion trade commitment to the U.S., announced by the Trump Administration in February, this partnership will be supported by over $33 billion in government funding.
Photo: Getty Images
BREAKING GROUND ON A RESILIENT SUPPLY CHAIN
In the central Indian state of Maharashtra, an industrial suburb of Nagpur is now set to gain the country’s largest integrated ingot and wafer manufacturing complex. Global clean energy transition company Waaree Energies Limited has announced an over $670 million investment toward the facility, which will be located on a 300-acre site in Butibori. “By developing large-scale domestic capacity for these critical components, we aim to contribute to India’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat [“self-reliant India”], reduce import dependence and enhance the resilience of the country’s solar supply chain,” said Waaree Energies Limited Chairman and Managing Director Hitesh Doshi. “Nagpur’s strategic location, strong industrial ecosystem, and connectivity across India make it an ideal destination for a project of this scale.” The facility’s anticipated 10-gigawatt capacity for solar ingots and wafers will enable India’s upstream solar manufacturing ecosystem to better support a growing solar sector.
Photo courtesy of Hyundai Translead
HYUNDAI HITCHES ON TO JOLIET
Two new trailer manufacturing plants are heading to Will County in Illinois, as Hyundai Translead marks its entrance to the state with a $452.5 million investment. The Hyundai Motor Company subsidiary specializes in transportation equipment for various van trailers, flatbeds, truck bodies and dollies. The company will house new production activity on sites that formerly supported production for Caterpillar and operations for Lion Electric in the region. (Lion Electric, which announced its investment three years ago, shut down the site as a result of bankruptcy proceedings. Cat closed its plant in 2019.) “Our expansion to Illinois represents years of planning and a shared vision for long-term growth,” said Hyundai Translead CEO Sean Kenney. “This investment reflects our confidence and commitment to building products, workforce development, and partnerships that endure.” The state provided the company with an incentive package totaling $69 million, which included support from the Economic Development for a Growing Economy program. Once operational, the two manufacturing facilities will create 2,500 new jobs.
Reports compiled and written by Alexis Elmore
