Another European Gigafactory on the horizon

FREYR AS, a Norwegian company, has announced its intention to build a combined 32 GWh battery facility in Mo i Rana, Norway combined with the development of up to a 600 MW onshore wind-park at Sjonfjellet in the Rana and Nesna municipalities. In a press release the company states that European demand for battery cells will exceed 300 GWh by 2025, driven by accelerating electrification of transportation solutions by European car manufacturers. The current absence of any large scale domestic battery cell manufacturing in Europe negatively impacts the ability to deliver against this agenda. Which is the very reason the Norwegian company is setting up its operation. FREYR is developing a 32 GWh battery-cell facility in Rana Municipality in Nordland County (matching the GWh capacity of Northvolt’s to be manufacturing facility in Sweden), which will be one of the largest in Europe; it will also be based on 100% renewable energy. FREYR says that it will produce a wide array of lithium Iionbattery (LIB) cell products, based on proven technology, powered by hydroelectric and wind power. At the same time the company announces that it has entered into a partnership with SINTEF and NTNU, where SINTEFs primary contribution is R&D along the battery value chain including testing/verification, and NTNU as the prime partner for related higher-degree education. SINTEF is a Norwegian independent research organisation and NTNU is the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. The intention is to develop the basis for the most energy efficient, green and ethically responsible battery cell production globally.