In December, Energy Plug Technologies announced its intention to partner with the Malahat First Nation
The partnership, currently in the process of being established, would see Energy Plug build a gigafactory to localize battery pack assembly and the battery supply chain in Canada.
Specifically, the intended partnership will allow Energy Plug and the Malahat to build a facility that specializes in the assembly of lithium iron phosphate battery packs for residential, commercial, and industrial storage applications, with a focus on grid-scale and storage-related batteries, according to a statement issued by the firm.
This week, the Vancouver-based clean-tech upstart announced that it has appointed Shawn Hensen as Technical Consultant.
In his new role, Hensen will oversee Energy Plug’s ongoing operations and support the company’s plans to bolster battery assembly infrastructure in Canada.
“This is an incredibly exciting time to work with Energy Plug as it seeks to develop and execute on its plans to establish battery assembly operations in Canada,” said Mr Hensen. “I’m looking forward to working with Brodie, the management team, and Malahat Battery Technologies to define the next era of Energy Plug and beyond.”
Prior to his role at Energy Plug, Hensen was a Senior Director at electric vehicle maker Rivian, where he led manufacturing engineering teams to support the production of battery modules, machining and battery packs. He also spent six years with Tesla.
As Technical Consultant, Hensen will report directly to chief executive officer Broderick Gunning as the firm leads the development and eventual construction of the gigafactory.
“As a veteran in the manufacturing engineering industry, Shawn brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our team,” said Mr Gunning. “His unique experience working directly with the production of large-scale battery manufacturing projects will be a considerable asset to the Energy Plug team, and we’re thrilled to be working with him as we move forward with the gigafactory project and ready our operations for future battery assembly.”
