Queen Creek Crane Certification for Battery Plant and Growth Work

Inside the LG Energy Solution build

LG Energy Solution announced a $5.5 billion battery complex in Queen Creek in 2023, split between a cylindrical cell plant and a separate LFP battery plant. The company later paused plans for the second phase while saying vertical construction on the cylindrical factory, a building of more than one million square feet, would continue. In August 2025 the town's economic development director said the plant was about 60% complete and production was expected to begin in summer 2026. Yates Construction is general contractor and Ware Malcomb the designer.

Battery plants follow a familiar sequence for crane crews. The shell needs large mobile or crawler cranes for steel and roof structure. After that comes a long period of installing dry rooms, mixing and coating lines, formation equipment and utility systems, much of it delivered on skids that must be rigged carefully and set to tight tolerances.

Rigging is the bottleneck on equipment installs

On a production-line install, the crane is rarely the hard part. The hard part is the rigging: finding the real center of gravity on a skid with a heavy motor at one end, choosing slings and spreaders that do not crush sensitive components, and controlling the load so it lands square. That is why plant projects ask for qualified riggers, and why Rigger Level 2 is worth a look for experienced hands. Newer crew members can start with Rigger Level 1.

Operators should look at mobile crane operator prep. Anyone directing loads into a building through an opening they cannot see from the cab should add signal person qualification.

Which county's rules apply?

Crane rules do not change at the county line. Arizona is an OSHA State Plan state, and ADOSH, part of the Industrial Commission of Arizona, enforces crane rules statewide that follow federal Subpart CC. Operator certification is national, not county- or town-based, and Arizona has no state crane license. What does vary is permitting for things like street closures, which the contractor handles with the town.

Summer conditions and exam travel

Queen Creek sits at the southeast edge of the Valley, where open farmland and new pads offer little shade. ADOSH has emphasized heat since 2023, and the state's 2026 employer heat guidelines stress water, shade, rest and acclimatization. Monsoon thunderstorms can build in the afternoon; outflow winds and dust can reach open sites quickly, so wind limits belong in every lift plan.

Written exams are taken at proctored computer testing locations and the practical exam at an accredited test site booked through the certifying body. From Queen Creek, plan on a drive into the East Valley or central Phoenix. Neighbors: Gilbert, Mesa, Florence and Apache Junction, plus our Pinal County page.