LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Ford Energy assumed ownership Wednesday of the BlueOval SK battery plant in Glendale, Kentucky.
The company will begin retooling the gigafactory, now named Ford Energy Systems, to "serve the large and growing demand for battery energy storage systems," Ford announced Thursday. Those will be used by utility companies, data centers, industrial and commercial clients.
The announcement comes about a week after the introduction of Ford Energy, a subsidiary of Ford Motor Company.
Ford Energy's operations, the company said, "span full LFP prismatic battery cell manufacturing and assembly of battery energy storage system modules and 20-foot DC container systems."Â
The gigafactory ran electric vehicle battery production for four months until December 2025, when it abruptly shut down after Ford and SK dissolved the joint-venture as Ford continues to scale back its electric vehicle strategy.
The shutdown affected all 1,600 employees at the facility and came after a series of delays, including the decision never to open a second plant known as "Kentucky 2."
Millions of taxpayer dollars were invested for infrastructure with the promise of major tax breaks and 5,000 jobs in Glendale at the BlueOval SK electric vehicle battery plant. State and local leaders funded major infrastructure upgrades, including those on water and sewer systems. Hardin County alone spent $1.6 million in federal relief funds on projects tied to the battery plant.
Production at Ford Energy Systems is expected to begin late next year. Ford said it creates at least 2,100 jobs. Workers who were let go after the BlueOval plant shut down will be able to re-apply for positions.
In April, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced Ford's plans to invest an additional $2 billion into the plant.
"This is great news for Ford, great news for Hardin County and great news for all of Kentucky," Beshear said in a news release. "Ford has been a great employer and corporate partner in our state for more than a century, and our winning partnership will continue well into the future."
Copyright 2026 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
