All four million square feet of buildings on the 34-acre site will be connected via a hydronic loop that circulates waste energy from the nearby Kruger Products plant for heating, and water from the Ottawa River for cooling.

The money builds on the $500 million announced in July to create enough funding for construction of 50 new buildings, and additions to 23 existing facilities.

The organization has narrowed its choice of sites down to two—South Bruce and Ignace. It has secured a series of agreements with area landholders for the use of the land for investigation.

The deal to purchase 60 acres of land was signed in 2015, but took five years to close given the time required for re-zoning and to secure government approval for a full facility expansion.

The new facility was formerly known as the Engineering Centre. It will enable thyssenkrupp to expand its capacity to service its own machinery as well as those of its competitors throughout Canada.