Stockholm (energate) - The plans of the Swedish battery start-up Northvolt for a gigafactory in Heide remain open. It is possible that the company prefers to build a factory in the USA. The reason is the US government's massive IRA subsidy programme for green technologies, which also requires manufacturers to produce in the US. "A year ago we said we'd do Europe first and then the US, then came the IRA," said company founder Peter Carlsson during a visit by German economics minister Robert Habeck (Greens) to the Northvolt research centre near Stockholm. There the company is testing its production technology and working on battery recycling.
The company's first Gigafactory is located in northern Sweden. Production is currently ramping up there. In the final stage, a capacity of 60 GWh per year is planned, enough for one million electric cars. Customers include VW and BMW, which also hold shares in Northvolt.
Investment decision postponed
According to the original plans, the company wants to produce 150 GWh of batteries per year in Europe (
energate reported). Heide is planned as a further location. As in Sweden, there is a large supply of renewable energy in the region. A prerequisite for Northvolt. "We need a long-term, green energy supply at competitive prices," Carlsson stated. The Gigafactory in Sweden supplies itself from hydroelectric power.
The state of Schleswig-Holstein and the German government have already issued a funding notice of 155 million euros for the construction of the plant in Heide (
energate reported). The plant is expected to employ 3,000 people. The total investment is around 4 billion euros. Northvolt actually wanted to announce the final decision for Heide in the summer of 2022. Now there is talk of the first quarter of 2023.
Habeck wants to support the project
Negotiations continue in the background, possibly for additional public support. "We are in constant exchange," said economics minister Habeck during his visit to Northvolt. It's not just about money, but also about infrastructure and the training of skilled workers, according to him. As a Northvolt spokesperson confirmed, the company is continuing to press ahead with the approval procedures for the Heide site. /kw
