Building a world-class battery manufacturing hub with Panasonic

Project overview

Building for sustainability

Construction of Panasonic Energy’s new $4b manufacturing facility in De Soto, Kansas is an important step in meeting growing demand for lithium-ion batteries in the United States. Site remediation began in October 2022, and construction of the 447,000 m² factory started in early 2023. The facility was forecast to reach mass production in 2025. With an annual production capacity of about 30 GWh, the plant will supply EV manufacturers across the United States.

Project STORY

Driving local regeneration

The facility demonstrates Panasonic’s Green IMPACT initiative, which aims to reduce the company’s CO2 emissions to virtually net zero by 2030 and contribute 300m tons of avoided emissions by 2050.

The facility will provide 4,000 direct jobs and a similar number of indirect jobs. It is the largest and most expensive single construction development in Kansas history, and once operational, Panasonic will be one of the largest private employers in the state.

Delivering global best practice

Originally engaged to carry out an estimate review for the facility’s development, our role expanded to include cost and commercial management, procurement and supply chain, and project management services. Drawing on our experience delivering comparable large-scale programs, we brought global best practice—combined with strong local market knowledge—to what will be one of the largest and most advanced EV battery manufacturing facilities in the world.

“Turner & Townsend integrated themselves smoothly into our construction management team. Spanning multiple functions, their team has performed with great professionalism, industry knowledge and a strong sense of ownership.

"The outstanding partnership we have with Turner & Townsend will play a key role in our success on this multibillion-dollar project.”

Carl Walton
Vice President of Strategic Initiatives & Facilities
Panasonic Energy of North America