The UK is in the running as the site for Eurocell’s first European Gigafactory, a £600m investment that would create hundreds of direct and indirect jobs.
Spain and the Netherlands are also on Eurocell’s shortlist, with the Anglo-Korean battery company stating that a final investment decision is “highly dependent on getting the right level of support and investment from the central government.”
Once a site has been found, Eurocell said it would produce ‘production-ready’ technologies for European energy storage, automotive and e-mobility applications within 12 months. Full capacity will be reached as early as 2025.
Eurocell said its batteries last more than ten times longer than conventional lithium-ion cells, making them much more durable, with no end-of-life issues and suitable for ESS applications. Their wide range of operating temperatures also makes them suitable for areas with extreme weather and no existing power grid.
In a statement, Recardo Bruins, CEO Eurocell EMEAsaid: “Eurocell in the UK is a new company, led by a highly experienced UK team and supported by our South Korean partner with decades of experience in electrochemistry, making large scale batteries and building the Gigafactories to power them. produce.
“Now we plan to expand rapidly in Europe and provide the energy storage and automotive industries with our market-leading technologies that last longer, perform better and are 100 percent safe. These products can be on the market in months, not years.
“To fulfill our mission, we are actively seeking a European manufacturing base and are in advanced talks with locations in the UK, the Netherlands and Spain. With the right degree of central involvement and support, we want to take advantage of the fast-growing European market as quickly as possible.”
Eurocell plans to build its new Gigafactory in two phases. The first phase will begin large-scale production of advanced battery cells for existing customers in early 2023. At the same time, a custom facility will be built on the same site that can produce more than 40 million cells per year by 2025.
