Posted on 18 Aug 2022
Anglo-Korean battery manufacturer Eurocell said Wednesday its proposed European gigafactory will likely be built in the Netherlands, as discussions with local authorities enter the final stage.
Earlier this year, the company said it was considering the UK, Spain and the Netherlands as host countries for its expansion into Europe. A location decision would be based on the country that offered the most support, Kallanish notes.
“With rapid expansion plans in Europe, Eurocell is encouraged by the positive engagement we have had with both the Dutch government and NOM investment and development agency for the Northern Netherlands over the last few months,” says chief commercial officer Eurocell EMEA, Nick Clay. “As we enter the final stages of discussions, we are confident that we will be able to confirm the exact location of our first European gigafactory in the near future.”
The Birmingham-based company plans to build the gigafactory in two phases – the initial starting in early 2023 and the second by 2025. Investments will start at $800 million and rise to $2 billion by 2028.
At full capacity, the 3.25 gigawatt-hour plant would be capable of producing more than 40m cells per year, targeting primarily the energy storage system (ESS) market, the company says.
Backed by South Korean partners with “decades of experience making batteries at mass-scale and building gigafactories,” Eurocell says it can deliver the project in just 12 months. It claims its production-ready technology, validated for scaled-up manufacturing, will enable a record project development from planning till first production.
The batteries are said to have a considerable technical advantage, lasting over 10 times longer than conventional lithium-ion cells, making them far more sustainable.
Source:Kallanish
