Stellantis has announced that production has started at the NextStar Energy plant in Windsor, Ont. even as the facility remains under construction.

The facility has started producing battery modules.

NextStar Energy is a joint venture between LG Energy Solutions and Stellantis. When complete, it will be the first large-scale electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility in Canada with an annual production capacity of 49.5 gigawatt-hours – enough to power 450,000 vehicles per year.

“We are thrilled to begin battery module production at NextStar Energy, which is a pivotal landmark for our operations,” NextStar Energy CEO Danies Lee said in a news release. “This successful launch is a reflection of our team’s expertise and dedication to innovating world-class energy solutions right here in Windsor.”

Construction of the facility continues, with completion expected in 2025.

The next and final phase of operations at the plant is cell manufacturing, which will begin once construction is completed.

Ground broke on the plant in 2022 and more than 7,500 trades workers are involved in building it.

NextStar Energy is expected to employ 2,500 people, with more than 450 of those jobs already filled.

More information on jobs at NextStar Energy is available on the company’s website.