Hydro-Québec moves to reclaim Northvolt's vacant Montérégie land for South Shore use

Hydro-Québec has reached an agreement to acquire the vacant Northvolt site, a property split between Saint-Basile-le-Grand and McMasterville, south of Montreal. The Crown corporation is the buyer. The parcel is about 18 million square feet.

Northvolt was supposed to build a mega battery cell factory there. The project was announced in 2023 by the Quebec and Canadian governments with a value of $7 billion, billed as the largest private investment in Quebec's history. It never got past the preparatory stage. Northvolt went bankrupt in 2025, and the land has sat idle since.

The sale is running through the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act, with Raymond Chabot as monitor. Court authorization has been obtained and the agreement still needs final court approval. The purchase price is not public until the court signs off. Hydro-Québec's stated purpose is to support operations on Montreal's South Shore, and it is considering a new electrical substation and a logistics centre on the site.

A Hydro-Québec spokesperson said the next steps, including any discussion with the local community and the public, will come once the transaction is formally completed.

Quebec had already sunk money into the project. Economy Minister Christine Fréchette said in March 2025 that the province's $270 million investment in Northvolt's Swedish parent was lost.

The Quebec Superior Court is expected to approve the sale in the coming days, according to the Ville de Saint-Basile-le-Grand.