NextStar’s pack line completes a domestic battery supply chain that Canada has long sought but rarely achieved in practice
NextStar Energy has started production on a new battery pack manufacturing line at its Windsor, Ontario facility, completing full cell-to-pack vertical integration at a single site for the first time. The third production stage, added alongside existing cell and module operations, responds to growing global demand for energy storage systems (ESS) and broadens the company’s product range.
Canada’s first and only commercial-scale battery manufacturing plant, the Windsor facility recently celebrated its formal grand opening and began commercial cell production in November 2025. The site reached one million cells in February 2026, and the new pack line now allows NextStar Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of LG Energy Solution, to supply complete battery products from a single location, deepening its North American supply chain role.
In a statement, Danies Lee, Chief Executive Officer of NextStar Energy, said: “Adding pack production means we can now take a battery from cell to module or to a finished pack, all here in Windsor. This expansion reflects our commitment to capitalizing on the rapid growth of the ESS market and is a meaningful step to strengthen Canada’s position in the global battery supply chain as well.”
Why this matters:
Full vertical integration from cell to pack is a meaningful competitive step. Most battery manufacturers at this stage operate either cell or pack lines; combining both at a single site reduces logistics complexity, improves yield visibility across the production chain, and strengthens NextStar’s position as a single-source supplier for ESS customers.
The pivot toward ESS rather than automotive is a signal worth watching. NextStar launched as Canada’s first commercial-scale battery facility with an implicit automotive supply chain rationale; leading the pack line expansion with ESS demand suggests LG Energy Solution is reading grid storage as the more immediate growth vector in North America.