Kore Power’s KorePLEX Project in Buckeye, AZ

There's been a lot of buzz around Kore Power's giant lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility in Buckeye, AZ. While reports from 2022 had us excited about its potential, recent developments have taking things to the next level. 

Kore Power will become the largest lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility in the USA. In March 2024, the City of Buckeye’s Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved the plans for the first and second phases. This milestone means vertical construction will begin in 2024, and the project will bring a $1.25 billion investment to Buckeye.

Expect 700 construction jobs and over 3,000 permanent jobs once the facility is fully operational.

But the bigger question has everything to do with sustainability and the ecological effects of lithium-ion batteries that would impact Arizona and the residents within the surrounding areas around Buckeye.

Buckeye and its electricity source

It's no doubt we have become dependent on lithium-ion batteries. They are essential for the exceeding demand for electric cars and trucks being manufactured in Buckeye and throughout the US. A big demand calls for a equal response, enter KorePLEX. 

Lindsay Gorrill, Kore Power's founder and CEO, emphasized the importance of bringing lithium-ion battery manufacturing to the US. After rigorous collaboration with the City of Buckeye, the plans for the KOREPlex have been set to align perfectly with the local community’s comprehensive plan.

If you know the name Jay Bellows, you have reason to be optimistic of the future for Buckeye and the state of Arizona. But as 'Bellows' has mentioned early on that - building a battery factory is no easy task'.

That statement could not be more apparent than Jay's commitment to other states that have similar electric battery storage projects. Take the case and point of the Waterbury Northern-Reliability project. Jay, a local who lives in Waterbury, Vermont with his family, has only been part of the CORE Power entity since late 2013. He further explains the booming expansion in energy storage in a workspace that previously was home to Keurig Green Mountain coffee roasters.

The new project which started in 2022 entitled the Northern-Reliability project is largely a testing facility. You see, the batteries that are used to charge electric fleets including cars and trucks are roughly the size of a small tractor. Most people often think that electrical charging sites are required but actually, these giant batteries are charging several smaller batteries. The plan to charge these batteries is even more progressive because they can be charged for free.

Yes, that's right, according to Bellows, they are using excess electricity that is supplied by the state of Idaho that comes from excess electricity that's not used by their grid. Additional electricity is also coming from wind-powered windmills (when the wind is blowing too), and solar farms when the sun is shining. You get the point here. They have a whopping army of employees that total around 31 at the time of the interview in March 2022.

The end goal is to have battery storage facilities large enough to take over a grid across the entire USA which will replace over 290 million gas-powered combustion vehicles. In addition, his new facility in Arizona which would have the capacity to power 3.2 million homes each year with the power they can store also would be a major pipeline for energy storage facilities in the United States.

They also have ambitious hope to be a major supplier of stored electricity for Electric Airplanes that relate to new project companies like Resonant Link and Beta Technologies. And you thought Idaho was best-known for potatoes and precious stones. Looks like Idaho is now at the forefront of Silicon Valley-level technology.

KORE Power capacity and employment opportunities in buckeye

The KOREPlex is slated to start production by 2025. The project has already seen significant progress, with the first and second phases approved and site work underway. Full completion of the facility is expected by mid-2025, which aligns with the goal of doubling the initial planned capacity from 12 GWh to 24 GWh annually.

It sounds more like the scene where that poor Russian guy looks into the open core of Chernobyl and sees the eye of Sauron staring back.

Kore Power’s first phase alone will create more than 1,600 jobs and is expected to ramp up to 3,000 workers with the second phase. The Buckeye facility will be one of the largest employers in the area, making Kore Power a major economic driver for Maricopa County.

KORE Power also intends to build and ship brand new storage batteries that will deploy more than 10 million battery cell units to a global customer base.

It's not exactly easy to find 3,000 capable workers who have experience with Lithium Ion so expect the KorePLEX to attract people from across the US.  Below is a video that shows the potential of smart lithium-ion batteries and how they are built.

Now, this video is a nice reminder of how safe lithium-ion phosphate batteries are to use and why a 1 million square foot factory can easily become a fire hazard in a very short amount of time.

We can't say for sure what kind of batteries KORE is going to be manufacturing, however, the batteries that KORE currently has produced for them are all coming directly from a factory located in China. KORE Power intends to increase production at their Chinese factory by 2024 to export more Gigawatt-scale-sized batteries.

It seems that there are no actual factories to be seen so far aside from pretty CG renderings. We'll give you some drone video footage as soon as that's available...

Nikola and Lucid factory

Whether or not you believe in miracles, other projected projects that also seem to be too good to be true that come out of Buckeye are always entertaining, to say the least. It's never too late to mention how the previously-named Trillium at Douglas Ranch has now magically morphed into Teravalis in Buckeye. Not to forget the highly doubtful I-11 Freeway expansion project or the suffering saga of no expansion within the Tartesso Community.

Perhaps bigger wishes for seeing the Nikola Electric Truck Factory or Lucid Car Electric Car factory will become a stabile business boom too? As usual, until they have solved any kind of water shortage problem, new communities within Buckeye will not see any business growth until global changes will increase the water flow down the Colorado river. Indeed, the Colorado River levels do peak and decline every 10 years.

According to annual flow charts for the Colorado River, 2023 should start seeing an increase in water flow when snowpacks start to melt in the late spring and summer into Lake Mead. But for now, Buckeye has been fairly proactive in taking matters into their own hands to deal with the lack of water supply in the desert. 

You can decide for yourself if this is what Buckeye can expect from Jay Bellows. We're hopeful of any project that comes to Buckeye will increase the local employment and economy for much of Maricopa County but for a more promising prospect check out the latest game changing plant making its way to the Valley of the Sun. And as a local small business, we look forward to growth of the surrounding community to provide our Buckeye junk removal services to.

(Lucid factory - near to Nikola and just as flighty)

Latest KorePLEX Developments

With construction planned in phases, they're ensuring that flexibility is the name of the game—perfect for adapting to the ever-changing landscape of tech advancements and market demand. Fingers crossed that Buckeye raises the approval banner high and waves us into the next chapter of electrification. Here's the latest updates for the KorePLEX; 

1. Planning and Zoning Approval:

• The City of Buckeye’s Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved the plans for Phases 1 and 2 in March 2024.
• Vertical construction is set to begin in 2024.

2. Economic Impact:

• The project will bring a $1.25 billion investment to Buckeye.
• It will create over 700 construction jobs and more than 3,000 permanent jobs at full capacity.

3. Facility Plans:

• The first phase includes a 909,000-square-foot manufacturing hall and a 28,000-square-foot administration building.
• Phase two will add another 909,000-square-foot manufacturing hall, with additional facilities like solar carports for parking and more support buildings.

4. Community Engagement:

• The KOREPlex is designed to work closely with the local community, aligning with Buckeye’s comprehensive plan.
• This development is seen as a significant step forward for American battery manufacturing, providing a hub of economic activity for Buckeye and Maricopa County.

5. Production Goals:

• Once operational, the facility will produce 6 gigawatt-hours of high-density cells for electric vehicles and energy storage.
• The second phase will expand this capacity even further.

I join all Arizonans in welcoming to our state KORE Power and its new manufacturing site that will create thousands of new jobs. Arizona is positioned to lead the nation on increasing America’s competitiveness in battery technology, and I will continue supporting this vital industry. - Krysten Sinema (D-AZ)

FAQs