MONTREAL, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Northvolt is looking at the Canadian province of Quebec as a possible site to industrialize its Cuberg lithium metal battery system for electric planes, the Swedish company's co-founder said on Tuesday, adding that a decision was still years away.

"We are looking at it," Paolo Cerruti, who heads the company's North American division, told reporters on the sidelines of an event at the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal.

"It is very early on, we are a few years away. Probably second half of this decade," Cerruti said.

While the aviation industry has sought to make more fuel-efficient designs, the heavy weight of traditional lithium-ion batteries has prevented aircraft makers from following in the footsteps of car companies in building electric engines.

California-based Cuberg, a subsidiary of Northvolt, has begun testing its battery system which the company says is light enough to be installed on a plane to make electric flying safe and sustainable.

"We are looking at reserving space on site if it makes sense to have the first industrial scale up here in Quebec," Cerruti said.

Northvolt has also committed to building a $5.2 billion electric vehicle battery gigafactory in Quebec, the largest ever investment in the Canadian province.

https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/swedens-northvolt-weighs-quebec-potential-electric-plane-battery-plant-2023-11-28/