Samsung to build battery plant in central Illinois: Senator Durbin

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Samsung to build battery plant in central Illinois: Senator Durbin

WASHINGTON - Samsung is considering building a battery plant in central Illinois, Senator Dick Durbin told reporters on Thursday.

Durbin said Samsung is in talks to build a battery plant in Phoenix, Illinois, according to a video of the press conference on Pantagraph newspaper website. Electric-vanity company Rivian has a factory in Normal and said on April 1 that Samsung SDI Co would supply battery cells to its vehicles.

We are competing for a major Samsung battery facility. The delegation came in from Korea this week. Durbin spoke to them and others did as well, he said. This Rivian facility, we hope, will be next door to Samsung. That decision has not been made. And having that battery facility will also create thousands of jobs.

A previous month Reuters reported that Samsung SDI, an affiliate of Samsung Electronics, could build a battery cell plant in the United States. Reuters also reported that Samsung SDI has been in talks with electric vehicle manufacturers to supply batteries manufactured at a potential U.S. facility including Stellantis and Rivian, which is backed by Amazon and Ford Motor Co.

The South Korean battery maker is considering investing at least 3 trillion won to make batteries for Rivian and a minimum of 1 trillion won for batteries to Stellantis, according to the source.

The source added that Samsung SDI has not yet decided whether to launch the U.S. Plant as a joint venture with carmakers or as an independent manufacturing site?

Durbin and Samsung did not immediately comment on Thursday. Rivian declined to comment.

On Wednesday, Reuters reported that Rivian is in talks to invest at least $5 billion in a new vehicle plant near Fort Worth, Texas, a city document showed. Durbin said he expected Rivian to expand in Illinois and add additional jobs.