HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – Ascend Elements Inc. shared the reasoning behind the construction pause on Apex 1 to the Hopkinsville City Council during their April 8 meeting, with a representative saying the project is now set to be finished in late 2026.
“Right now, we are on a construction pause, we absolutely will continue with the construction,” said Mark Fern, plant manager. “Essentially what we’ve done is taken the entire project timeline, and pushed it back a year.” He explained to the council that construction was operating on an accelerated timeline with designing and construction happening simultaneously. This pause will allow engineers time to catch up and stay ahead of the construction.
The plant in Hopkinsville will be creating the chemical compound that is inside batteries (pCAM) by transforming black matter. The Apex 1 facility will produce enough pCAM to equip 250,000 EVs per year.
In November 2024, the council passed a resolution that established intent to provide the Ascend Elements Inc. development with $565 million in revenue bonds for continued construction and infrastructure costs. At the time, the company had received a total of $480 million in government grants to fund the construction.
Fern anticipates construction will start up again toward the end of 2025, and the facility will be operational by the end of 2026.
Lawsuit and grant issues
When questioned about an ongoing lawsuit against Ascend, Fern did not share many details to the city council. However, during the March 25 Christian County Fiscal Court meeting, Fern said the following about the suit, “I’m 100% confident it will get resolved in time…we are committed to paying the bills we owe, particularly to the local sub-contractors.”
Fern also addressed reports that Ascend was turning down grant money, clarifying to the council that the grant in question would have funded an additional product line that was not initially planned for the facility. It was decided that they would focus on the pCAM, and not expand so the grant money would not be required.
“We know you’ve got a lot going on, we know you’re pushing forward,” said Mayor Knight to Fern.
During an update in November to the Southwestern Kentucky Economic Development Council, a good portion of the exterior construction on Apex 1 was already complete, with crews starting to focus more on internal design and construction. The current footprint allows them ample space to expand in the future.
Since breaking ground, Ascend has invested about $1 billion in the community by hiring local contractors and labor. During early phases, they at times had upward of 1,000 workers on site. the inner workings of the chemical plant are fairly complex including boilers, compressors, and a substation. Upon opening, there will be approximately 400 jobs available.
| DOWNLOAD THE APP: Sign up for our free Christian County Now app