Eurocell Chooses Netherlands for First European Gigafactory
The Anglo-Korean battery company, Eurocell, has announced its first European Gigafactory will be built in the Netherlands.
This is expected to be able to supply battery cells to the energy storage and e-mobility ecosystem across the continent. The company intends to construct the production facility in two phases reaching full capacity as early as 2025. The first phase will produce battery cells at scale by early 2023 for existing European customers. The second phase, potentially on the same site, will be capable of producing more than 40 million cells per year by 2025.
The plant represents an initial investment of $800M rising to $2Bn by 2028 to support the expected growth of the energy storage market in Europe. It is also expected to create hundreds of direct and indirect jobs, transferring skills from Korean battery experts.
Eurocell says it will produce ‘production ready’ technologies in just 12 months, faster than rival Gigafactories, using its battery product which it claims is verified and validated for scaled-up manufacturing. The company’s batteries, developed in Korea, also claims a technical advantage boasting a life-span more than ten times longer than conventional lithium-ion cells, making them more sustainable with no ‘end of life’ issues and suitable for ESS applications given it is also 100% safe.
Nick Clay, chief commercial officer, Eurocell EMEA, said: “In its Climate Policy, the Netherlands outlines its ambition to lead Europe in the fight against global warming with a comprehensive strategy to reduce emissions across industries. 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. 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.”
— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in Europe. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_
