Volkswagen Group continues to implement its electrification plan, which also includes the construction of a number of battery cell factories. The German group announced that I works on the construction of the Sagunto plantin the vicinity near Valencia, Spainthey started. PowerCo, a company formed specifically to manage the battery business, will take over the operation of the battery manufacturing sites.
The new plant will initial power 40 GWh per year, which could rise to 60 GWh later. The plant will also be of great importance to the local economy as it will employ 3,000 people. This plant will produce “unified cells” that will be used on most of the German group’s future new electric vehicles.
The plant will be fed exclusively electricity generated by solar and wind energy. For example, part of the energy will come from a new 250-hectare solar park located near the plant. The raw material cycle will be closed directly inside the plant. If there are no delays in the roadmap, cell construction is expected to start in 2026.
The battery plant in Spain is a key part of a €10 billion investment program called “Future: Fast Forward” that the Volkswagen Group announced last year with PowerCo, SEAT and 49 partners. The plan also includes the conversion of factories in Martorell and Pamplona to the production of electric vehicles. Thomas SchmallVolkswagen Group Technology Officer and Chairman of PowerCo’s Supervisory Board commented:
With PowerCo we are in the fast lane. We have just begun work on a cell factory in Valencia and have announced the construction of a gigafactory in St. Thomas, Canada. Our goal is to make PowerCo a global player in the battery industry and pave the way for more mobility with cells produced in a sustainable way. The Gigafactory in Valencia is a milestone in this regard.
Source: HD Motori
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