WEIRTON, W.Va. (WTRF) – Major news from Northern Panhandle is making its way through all of West Virginia.

FORM Energy, Inc. is bringing its battery manufacturing facility in Weirton at the site of the former Weirton Steel plant.

Governor Jim Justice was in Weirton on Friday afternoon, signing House Bill 2882 that enables the state to enter a partnership with FORM Energy.

Construction on the $760 project is expected to start soon.

The facility should be in operation by late 2024.

The plant will create at least 750 full time jobs.

The bill signed by the Governor appropriates funding to the West Virginia Development Project Fund for the new facility.

The state will retain ownership in the buildings, the land and everything until the day comes when Form absolutely brings us 750-plus jobs. I mean, this is absolutely as rock solid financially a project as you could absolutely have.

Governor Jim Justice, (R) West Virginia

It has access to the river. It has strong access to rail and highway. It’s close to a major airport and there’s an excellent workforce in the area. It’s very close to the kind of skillsets and capabilities that we need.

Ted Wiley, Co-Founder and COO, Form Energy

About half the jobs will be manufacturing. The other half will be engineers and managers.

Form Energy has posted 30 of the jobs online. For one of the jobs alone, they’ve received 250 applications already.

The plant will be a 900-thousand square foot building. When finished, it will be nine times as big as the old open hearth building beside it.