LG Chem Continues Construction of 'Largest Cathode Material Plant in the US'... Emphasizes Need for Subsidies

Participation in Tennessee Manufacturing Forum as the Only Korean Company
LG Chem Building Cathode Material Plant in Clarksville
Requests for U.S. Government Support with Operations Targeted for 2026

LG Chem, which is building a cathode material plant in Clarksville, Tennessee, USA, will participate in a policy forum hosted by the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce. At the forum, LG Chem is expected to emphasize the need for policy support such as federal government subsidies in the United States. This move comes shortly after LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo emphasized 'selection and concentration' at this year's first executive meeting, revealing LG Chem's determination to continue its investment plans in the cathode material business.

On the 28th (local time), LG Chem announced that it will participate in the 'Tennessee Manufacturing Forum' held in Nashville, Tennessee. The forum, held under the theme of the growth of Tennessee manufacturing, is a place where stakeholders from business, government, and academia gather to broadly discuss growth policies and the government's role necessary to revitalize manufacturing in Tennessee.

The construction site of the cathode material factory that LG Chem is building in Clarksville, Tennessee, USA. (Photo by LG Chem)

At LG Chem, Executive Director Go Yoon-joo, Chief Sustainability Strategy Officer (CSSO), will attend as the only panelist from a Korean company. Executive Director Go will participate in a policy discussion on the development of advanced industries and strengthening of material supply chains in the U.S., alongside key panelists including Ellen Borden, Deputy Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, representatives from the American Chemistry Council, and Tennessee State University. Executive Director Go plans to emphasize at the forum that LG Chem's cathode material plant in Tennessee will become a key production base for domesticating the supply chain of electric vehicle battery materials in the U.S. in the future.

LG Chem is currently constructing a cathode material plant with an annual capacity of 60,000 tons by investing approximately 2 trillion KRW in the first phase on a 1.7 million square meter site secured in Clarksville, Tennessee. The Tennessee plant is expected to become the largest cathode material plant in the U.S., with production capacity sufficient for about 600,000 high-performance pure electric vehicles annually, aiming to start operations in 2026.

Executive Director Go said, "To strengthen the supply chain of advanced industries such as battery materials in the U.S., federal government subsidies and policy support to promote foreign investment are necessary," adding, "If Tennessee's abundant manufacturing infrastructure is combined with government policy support, LG Chem's innovation in the U.S. market will accelerate even further."