By Chris Day cday@postandcourier.com
FLORENCE — Envision AESC will break ground on its $810 million electric vehicle battery manufacturing plant June 7 in a deal that will support one of South Carolina’s biggest carmakers.
The 1.5 million-square-foot factory, which will be in Florence County’s 900-acre Technology and Commerce Park at Estate Road and Old Marion Highway, will create 1,170 jobs.
The facility will encompass 500 acres. It’s scheduled to start production in late 2025.
Japan-based Envision AESC, which was co-founded by Nissan, is partnering with BMW Manufacturing’s Upstate plant to develop lithium-ion battery cells to power future electric vehicles.
At its May 18 meeting, Florence County Council unanimously granted an easement to Duke Energy Progress to relocate an electricity distribution line along the western edge of Estate Road to bring more power to the Envision plant.
Duke Energy needs to upgrade the line, and it will pay for it, County Administrator Kevin Yokim said.
The S.C. Commerce Department’s Coordinating Council of Economic Development awarded a $135 million closing fund grant to the county to assist with project-related costs. It also awarded state tax credits that are tied to the number of jobs Envision creates, according to a statement.
South Carolina authorized issuing up to $70 million in state bonds for off-site infrastructure and a training center to support the project.
County Council and city of Florence also put together incentives packages, including an agreement that replaces Envision’s property taxes with a fee, and a land-acquisition deal and up to $20 million to provide streets, water and wastewater services to the plant site.
At its May 18 meeting, County Council also approved incentives for unidentified company known as “Project Mimosa” that is planning to invest $20 million and create 29 full-time jobs, Yokim said.