Electric vehicle battery supplier Ascend Elements has paused construction on its factory in Christian County. After breaking ground in 2022, construction is now on hold for the Apex 1 project.
"Due to changing market conditions, several major customers asked us to push back the start of our pCAM (precursor cathode active material)deliveries by 12 to 18 months. That gave us extra time to re-evaluate some of our vendor relationships and contracts without delaying shipments to our customers," said Thomas Frey, Senior Director of Marketing & Communications.
Turner-Kokosing, the construction firm hired for the project, recently filed a lawsuit against Ascend, seeking $138 million in unpaid bills.
Ascend said in a statement it's prepared to pay for all "authorized and legitimate work performed" but is also committed to being responsible stewards of both public and private funds. The company added it's considering other contractors for the project.
Ascend says it plans to restart construction in the third quarter of this year with operations starting in late 2026.
Last month, Ascend reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy to cancel a $164 million federal grant for the Hopkinsville plant. Citing changing market conditions, the company said it would no longer produce one of the main components of lithium-ion batteries.
Copyright 2025 WKU Public Radio.
