Gigafactory projects in Europe postponed or relocated
Following the previous analysis, here we cover the Gigafactory projects in Europe that have been postponed or may be relocated :
- Svolt: The production plant planned in Überherrn (Saarland, Germany) by Chinese battery manufacturer Svolt will apparently have to be postponed by several years. While production was originally scheduled to start at the end of 2023, pilot production is now planned for 2027 and mass production for 2028. Administrative processes and local opposition to the site are cited as reasons. In order to maintain the contracts with Stellantis, an alternative in Lauchhammer (Brandenburg, Germany) was found at short notice. It is hoped to start pilot production in Lauchhammer in 2025. The Brandenburg plant is expected to have a production capacity of 16 GWh, probably at the expense of the Überherrn plant, whose original maximum capacity was designed for 32 GWh.
- The Volkswagen Group, which is currently looking for sites for five of its own battery factories, is facing opposition from local residents in the Czech city of Pilsen, which has been considered as a possible location. For Skoda, Volkswagen's Czech subsidiary, the site, which is only a two-hour drive from its plant in Mlada Boleslav, would be a production advantage. It is entirely possible that there will be significant delays in VW's plans.
- Northvolt: Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt could move the project of its 60 GWh factory from Heide in Germany to the U.S. to take advantage of the future local subsidies, given to buyers of BEVs equipped with batteries produced in US, Canada or Mexico. In addition, with its law to encourage local battery production, US offers massive subsidies and tax breaks for battery manufacturers. The Northvolt project in Germany was still quite new and in its early stages.
- It is noticeable that often the plan changes for Gigafactories affect the German sites. This could be due to the fact that a particularly large number of announcements were made for Germany, which would have made Germany the most important location for battery production in Europe, according to Inovev's analysis. It will be interesting to see the development of battery factory projects in Spain, which would become the most important European country for BEV production, according to Inovev's analysis. It will also be interesting to observe the development of projects in countries where the automotive industry is not well developed, such as Serbia, or by suppliers that are supported by countries or regions but have not signed contracts with car manufacturers.
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