Northvolt to establish a production facility in Poland

The new venture in Gdansk will consist of a production facility, including a R&D center, for battery modules and energy storage solutions. The facility will be operated as a partnership between Northvolt and South Bay Solutions, a company specialised in manufacturing battery modules, a press release reads. “We have seen a rapid increase in interest for complete battery solutions from several of our key customer segments during the past year. With this facility we will be able to meet that demand,” Peter Carlsson, CEO and Co-Founder, Northvolt, says in the release. The company says that the battery systems that will be produced are the full enclosure that delivers power to a final product, such as an energy storage solution or a mining machine. They contain battery cells, an electronic control system and often a cooling and heating system. The manufacturing of battery systems compared to battery cells are two different industrial processes. Cell production is a highly energy intensive chemical process. Northolt’s cell production is being established in Skellefteå, Sweden, and is planned to start production towards the end of 2020. The production of battery systems is a mechanical and electromechanical assembly process. With the new facility, Northvolt says it will be able to tap into an emerging cluster for the electromechanical industry in the region. Proximity to a strong supply chain eco system, labor markets and end-customers in continental Europe are also important factors behind the establishment. Production in Gdansk is expected to begin in 2019 with an initial manufacturing capacity of 10'000 modules per year. The capacity will be expanded gradually over the following years as Northvolt ramps up its production of battery cells. The company will initially add about 100 employees in this new venture.