Despite scads of rumors milling and spilling in south western Kentucky, officials with Ascend Elements are not “pulling the plug” on the massive Apex 1 construction in Christian County.
That’s according to Ascend Elements media contact Thomas Frey, who said Tuesday morning the company is “100% committed” to completing the project “on budget” and with a planned startup in late 2025.
Frey noted that the company has asked construction workers to “temporarily pause work,” so that exploration can begin on ways to optimize efficiency and manage costs of the project. Under changing market conditions, the facility will begin in late 2025, and continue its ramp up in 2026.
According to Frey, and other local sources, Ascend Elements has made significant progress on the construction of Hopkinsville’s pCAM production facility. Until recently, contractors have been working at an “accelerated pace” in order to meet strong customer demand — which required an early 2025 startup.
However, Frey added that “several major customers” have now asked for pCAM deliveries to be delayed by 9-to-12 months, and this is allowing extra time.
It is this extra time, Frey said, that is providing leverage and an expanded timeline, and allowing improved efficiency with the Kentucky project, while “making the company stronger.”
Specifically, Frey said Ascend Elements is “revisiting its contracts” in order to ensure that efficiency in the construction process. And, as he put it, “since time is no longer a primary driver, it doesn’t make sense to continue paying a premium for speed.”
This plan, he closed, has been discussed with many major investors, who are reportedly “100% supportive” of the company, the technology and the approach.
Long-term plans in Christian County, and beyond, “remain unchanged,” and Hopkinsville will be the home of North America’s first commercial-scale producer of sustainable pCAM.
Less than two months ago, the U.S. Department of Energy awarded another $125 million in federal funding to the Hopkinsville site, in order boost battery production and recycling for electric vehicles.
In a partnership with Orbia, the companies agreed to extract graphite from recycled batteries in Hopkinsville, have it processed and enhanced in Louisiana, and then have it sold as battery-grade graphite on the open market.
