HLGA Battery Plant construction halt delays trial operations

“Construction here has been halted. No one knows when it will resume.”

A foreign worker encountered at the entrance to the construction site of the HLGA Battery Plant, a joint battery factory between Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution in Ellabell, Georgia State (State), U.S., said on the afternoon of the 11th, “We hope everything returns to normal,” before adding these words. This is the site where U.S. immigration authorities conducted a surprise raid and seizure on the 4th of last month, arresting 317 Korean workers. The workers were released from detention early that day after a week but immediately returned to Korea, leaving the ongoing construction at a standstill. A source from LG Energy Solution said, “Effectively, work has come to a complete halt since the 4th.”

From the entrance to the construction site, about a dozen cranes for high-altitude work stood motionless. There was one road leading to the construction site, with passenger vehicles occasionally passing through, kicking up dust. The plant had completed 98% of its construction and was in the process of installing equipment. A company official said, “Under the original plan, trial operations could have commenced within this year.”

Near the construction site was an office building primarily used by expatriate workers. Expatriate visas were not subject to this crackdown. Male employees in the open area in front of the office, when asked about the situation, said, “This didn’t happen here (at the office), and we don’t have much to say,” and quickly left. Currently, the company has arranged for those with Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) visas to return to Korea and placed employees with short-term visit visas (B-1, B-2) on standby at their accommodations. It is uncertain whether the large number of Korean employees who recently returned to Korea will be able to come back here on business trips. Even if the U.S. government resolves the visa issues, it is highly likely that the technicians, who endured the traumatic experience of being detained for seven days, will be reluctant to set foot in the U.S. again. A source from a cooperative company said, “It is regrettable that this incident occurred just as the plant was nearing completion, as most of the jobs here would eventually go to the local community once the plant is completed.”

※ This article has been translated by Upstage Solar AI.