Switzerland’s H55 will invest $100 million over the next five years in its electric-plane battery plant now under construction in the Greater Montreal Area.

H55 provided more details on the project Wednesday as it broke ground near St-Hubert Airport in Longueuil, Que. The plant will include manufacturing, product development, research and development and customer-integration support.

Federal Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez and Pierre Fitzgibbon, Quebec’s minister of economy, innovation and energy, participated in the groundbreaking ceremony. But they did not announce any new government investments in the facility.

In March, Ottawa provided a $10-million loan to H55 to help it develop the plant. H55 said it is “in discussions to officialise the support of the Quebec government.”

The company will continue to collaborate on battery-development projects with customers Pratt & Whitney, a Longueuil-based global airplane-engine manufacturer; CAE, Montreal-based aviation technology firm, and Harbour Air, a Vancouver-based seaplane airline.

Harbour Air is developing a fleet of e-planes.

H55’s new wholly owned Canadian subsidiary will develop and operate the plant.

Image: H55