BMW ink supply agreement for battery cells with Northvolt

The battery cells will be produced from 2024 at Northvolt Ett gigafactory, currently under construction in Skellefteå, northern Sweden. Northvolt’s approach to sustainable technologies in cell production and recycling represents is described as a central motivation for the BMW Group’s decision. Activities at Northvolt Ett, including cell production and complete cell recycling, will be powered entirely by renewable energy. “To make an effective contribution to climate protection, we aim to improve our products’ overall environmental balance – from resources to recycling. This applies in particular to energy-intensive production of high-voltage batteries for electric vehicles.” says Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, in a press release. Faced with rapidly growing demand for battery cells, recycling of battery components at the end of their lifecycle and extensive reuse of raw materials will be key to closing the materials loop in the best way possible. With in-house recycling capacities, Northvolt is targeting 50% recycled material in new cells by 2030. The signing of the cell supply agreement is a major milestone in the BMW Group–Northvolt partnership, which dates back to mid-2018 when the two companies entered into a cooperation to develop battery cells. This partnership was also underpinned by BMW Group’s financial participation in Northvolt.