The large plant is located in Billy-Berclau Douvrin, in the north of the country, not far from the cities of Lille and Lens. The initiative was promoted by Automotive Cells Company (Acc), the company owned equally by Stellantis, TotalEnergies and Mercedes
Stellantis and Mercedes have inaugurated a gigafactory of batteries for electric cars in France, the first of three planned in Europe. The large plant is located in Billy-Berclau Douvrin, in the north of the country, not far from the cities of Lille and Lens. The initiative was promoted by Automotive Cells Company (Acc), the company owned equally by Stellantis, TotalEnergies and Mercedes. The event was also attended by the Minister of Business and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso. Supported by 7 billion euros of investments, of which 2.8 billion from public funds, the Acc project will help the transition towards sustainable mobility. There will be around 6,000 employees. “Here we are in the future, it is a great European project”, commented John Elkann, president of Stellantis.
The gigafactory
Stellantis said with an initial production capacity of 13 gigawatt hours (GWh), set to scale up to 40 GWh by 2030, the plant will produce high-performance lithium-ion batteries with a minimal CO2 footprint. The first of three European production centers will be operational by the end of 2023. The gigafactory will contribute to Stellantis’ goal of reaching a production capacity of 250 GWh in Europe by 2030 and will allow the Company to continue its mission to offer a complete range of battery technologies able to meet the needs of customers across the entire portfolio of Stellantis brands. The Company is working to ensure a capacity of approximately 400 GWh by 2030 thanks to five gigafactories located in Europe and North America and other supply contracts.
The redevelopment program
In addition to battery production, Stellantis, ACC, the Union des industrie et métiers de la métallurgie, the state and the region have created the Battery Training Center in Douvrin as part of the redevelopment program, according to the company in a statement. and professional updating. Thanks to a 400-hour course, Stellantis employees will acquire new skills in battery production. The aim is to help the Hauts-de-France region play a leading role in a crucial sector for the transition to electrification. By 2025 at least 600 employees will work at the battery production plant.
Tavares: “We will need two more Gigafactories in North America”
“We will do two gigafatories in North America, one in Canada and one in the US. We know we will need a third and a fourth in the US. There will be announcements,” Stellantis chief executive Carlos Tavares said. meeting the journalists at the end of the inauguration. “We would be happy to sell batteries to other manufacturers. No problem, we are open for business – explained the CEO -. It is normal that first we shareholders, Stellantis and Mercedes, take the share of batteries we need, but if, beyond to this, there is a profitable business, we are very open”.
Macron: “Great day for France and Europe”
“It’s a great day for the Hauts-de-France region, for our country and for Europe”: the French president, Emmanuel Macron, wrote in a tweet on the day of the inauguration of the Acc Gigafactory between Billy -Berclau and Douvrin, in northern France.
Source-tg24.sky.it