A nearly $6 billion federal loan will help electric-vehicle manufacturer Rivian restart construction of a $5 billion vehicle and battery plant near Covington, U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., announced Tuesday.

The project was expected to create 7,500 jobs when it was announced in late 2021. But it appeared in doubt last March when Rivian unveiled plans to build its new R2 crossover models at a factory in Illinois instead of in Georgia.

“There was real concern last spring that construction would never start,” Ossoff told reporters Tuesday morning in an online briefing. “What we have now is a major step forward to make sure this plant is built in Georgia.”

At the time it was announced, the Rivian plant was the largest economic development project in the state’s history. However, it was surpassed five months later by an announcement that Hyundai would build a $5.5 billion EV plant west of Savannah.

The loan from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is conditional. Rivian must fulfill a number of commitments to the project for the loan to gain final approval. The loan is being funded through the Inflation Reduction Act Congress passed in 2022.

“We are excited to arrive at this important chapter in our growth,” said RJ Scaringe, California-based Rivian’s founder and CEO. “We are grateful for our strong partnerships in Georgia and will continue to work closely with them as we bring this landmark facility to life.”

According to the DOE’s Loan Programs Office, Rivian plans to produce its midsize R2 and R3 models first at the new plant. The project, due to begin operations in 2028, would support up to 2,000 full-time construction jobs and up to 7,500 operations jobs by 2030.

If finalized, the loan would support construction of a 9-million-square-foot facility to manufacture up to 400,000 electric SUVs and crossover vehicles annually.

President-elect Donald Trump has been cool toward electric vehicles and threatened to repeal a federal tax credit of up to $7,500 to incentivize the purchase of EVs.

“This Rivian plant is a crucial part of Georgia’s economic future,” Ossoff said. “I’ll oppose any effort to undermine Georgia’s economic development.”

Capitol Beat is a nonprofit news service operated by the Georgia Press Educational Foundation that provides coverage of state government to newspapers throughout Georgia. For more information visit capitol-beat.org.