One of the world’s largest manufacturers of battery materials, pharmaceuticals, and high-performance advanced materials intends to co-locate at Cornerstone Energy Park (CEP) in Jefferson Parish.
UBE C1 Chemicals America, Inc. (UBE) plans to construct an approximately $500 million manufacturing facility at the CEP site to produce critical components for lithium-ion battery and semiconductor manufacturing processes. Lithium-ion batteries are essential to the manufacturing of electric and hybrid vehicles. Semiconductors are vital to electronic devices and enable advances in computing, communications, healthcare, transportation, renewable energy and countless other fields.
The proposed UBE facility would produce dimethyl carbonate (DMC), ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC) and polycarbonate diol (PCD). DMC and EMC produce the electrolyte that facilitate the movement of lithium ions in lithium-ion batteries. PCD is a product used in a wide range of coatings, adhesives and elastomers. DMC is produced using UBE’s proprietary process, an efficient production method resulting in less waste. The facility will be built within the existing CEP site footprint.
“It is exciting to welcome such a well-respected, multi-generational Japanese company to Jefferson Parish. UBE’s new facility furthers Louisiana’s emergence as a leading location for future energy projects by establishing the first electric vehicle battery supply chain project in the Southeast Region,” said Michael Hecht, president and CEO of Greater New Orleans, Inc. “UBE’s operations will also bolster national security efforts by serving as the only U.S. site to provide these critical elements of the country’s energy supply chain.”
Once necessary permits are received, construction of the UBE facility is scheduled to begin. Construction start is projected in early 2025 and facility startup is projected for the end of year in 2026. The Jefferson Parish Planning Advisory Board has recommended that the parish council approve an amended Special Permitted Use permit at CEP to allow for the onsite operations of the UBE project. The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality is reviewing UBE’s application for a minor source air permit, another requirement for the project. UBE and Cornerstone have both had third-party consultants review the state air permit and parish SPU permit applications. Cornerstone leaders have met with Jefferson Parish fire and environmental teams to review the project in detail and answer questions.
“Cornerstone is focused on sustainability and modernization and working towards creating a site that is more efficient, environmentally sustainable, and further recycles, reuses and refines existing processes to make them cleaner, safer and greener,” said Shawn Ward, director of corporate health, safety, security, environmental and sustainability at Cornerstone. “To achieve these goals, we are in ongoing conversations with the parish and with prospective new site companies like UBE to secure the proper permitting and permissions to progress.”
The UBE project would provide over 50 new, skilled positions and create more than 300 temporary construction jobs.
“My coworkers and I work hard every day to make Cornerstone Energy Park and Jefferson Parish the best possible places to live and work. UBE is the exact kind of investment we need in Jefferson Parish,” said Ainslie Blanke, senior marketing and communications advisor at Cornerstone.
This project is an important step in Cornerstone’s sustainability and modernization efforts and toward a site that is even cleaner, greener and more modern. It will put Jefferson Parish at the forefront of a greener future and boost industrial competitiveness with minimal environmental impacts while creating clean energy jobs for residents. By greatly reducing the current heavy dependence on imports from China and other countries, this project would bolster national security efforts and align with a strategic U.S. economic development priority to bring the manufacturing of critical parts of the energy supply chain back to American shores. Local production of these essential products also reduces the country’s carbon footprint by eliminating dependency on maritime imports of battery and semiconductor components.
Aligned with their commitment to transparency, Cornerstone and UBE have shared updates and other details in communication sent to community stakeholders and responded to questions. Company representatives have spoken at more than 20 community events about the UBE project over the past year, made presentations and answered questions. Company leaders continue to listen and provide updated information on these site activities.
“I’ve worked personally with UBE over the past year to identify meaningful engagement opportunities on both the east and west banks in Jefferson and St. Charles parishes. We’ve truly made a full-faith effort to engage and be transparent, including regularly presenting to local civic associations, meeting with local and state stakeholders and sending updates to our neighbors,” said JoLena Broussard, manager of strategic engagement and communications at Cornerstone.