News on global investment in industry (manufacturing, energy production and distribution, R&D and logistics).
The follow-up of the most important industrial projects in December was marked by investments in the electrical equipment sector to the tune of 12 billion USD, including :
the largest investment of the month announced by SK On and Hyundai Motor Group, who are planning USD 4.5 billion to set up a new battery cell plant near Cartersville, Georgia, USA.
Several investments in the chemical sector, including a green hydrogen plant project in the United States for a total of USD 4 billion in investments, and two resin plant projects for a total of USD 1.8 billion in investments. Last month was also marked by investments in the electronics sector, with a total of 9 billion USD, and electricity and gas with a total of 8.6 billion USD.
Investments in these four sectors represent 70% of total investments in December. In addition, there are also 20 new projects in the food industry, 10 projects in the automotive industry, 9 projects in machinery and equipment and 7 projects in waste treatment.
The most job-creating project, besides SK On and Hyundai Motors, is Weijing Energy Storage Technology's new zinc-iron liquid-flow energy storage battery production plant in China's Ningdu County, with 3,000 jobs expected to be created, with the second most job-creating project being the expansion of the 5G telecom equipment production site of Jabil in Pune, India, with 2,000 new jobs planned.
The best project according to our Factory of the Future rating is the new Bourbon whiskey distillery of French company Pernod Ricard in the United States. The plant, which will also include a drying facility and three warehouses, will include low-carbon technologies such as electrode boilers powered by certified renewable electricity, allowing the distillery to use no fossil fuels during bourbon production, thereby achieving carbon neutrality.
Pernod Ricard's new plant will continue to partner with local farmers and suppliers to source ingredients and kegs, and will create and sustain 55 full-time jobs for Kentucky residents over a 15-year period, with an average hourly wage of $82.35, including benefits.
