'Improvised bombs' found at Northvolt EV battery plant construction site in Quebec

MONTREAL – A company building a major plant for electric vehicle batteries in Quebec said this morning that “homemade bombs” were found at a construction site east of Montreal.

Paolo Cerruti, founder of Swedish manufacturer Northvolt, said company officials discovered over the weekend that the bombs had been placed under the machine “with the intention of harming our workers.”

He said the starters did not work and the company called the police.

Cerruti, who is CEO of Northwalt North America, is scheduled to speak to reporters about the news later this evening.

Northvolt AB has announced plans to open a $7 billion electric vehicle battery plant near Montreal by the end of 2026 in McMasterville and Saint-Basile-le-Grand, about 30 kilometers east of Montreal.

Since its announcement in September, the project has faced opposition from environmental groups and the Mohawk community, which say the plant is being built on environmentally sensitive land without due diligence.

This Canadian Press report was first published on May 6, 2024.