From the Beehive E122 - Vianode Joins Yarmouth Yards

We're back on site at the Yarmouth Yard Industrial Park with a very special update!
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Mike from St. Thomas Economic Development is joined by Burkhard Straub, CEO of Vianode. This Norwegian advanced battery materials producer has officially chosen St. Thomas, Ontario, as the home of its first large-scale North American synthetic graphite facility.

This project is big—world-scale big.

In this video, Burkhard shares:
🔹 Why graphite matters in lithium-ion batteries and the future of electromobility
🔹 How Vianode is bringing sustainable, low-emission graphite production to North America
🔹 Why St. Thomas was selected after a global site search (hint: shovel-ready lands, clean energy, strong workforce, and incredible local support!)
🔹 The company's plans to scale from 40,000 tons to 150,000 tons of synthetic graphite
🔹 How this investment will create 300+ high-quality local jobs in Phase 1—with significant economic ripple effects
🔹 What makes Vianode's closed-furnace technology 90% lower in CO₂ emissions than conventional production
🔹 How this new facility reinforces Ontario's growing EV and critical minerals supply chain
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With construction beginning soon, Vianode is setting the stage for St. Thomas—and Canada—to lead in clean, sustainable battery materials.

And yes, Mike brought shovels.
And yes, Burkhard was ready to get digging.