Chinese lithium-ion group Capchem is set to become the latest Asian battery manufacturer to expand operations to Poland— building a low-cost European base to supply the lucrative electric-vehicle market.
Shenzhen-based Capchem, which produces lithium batteries, capacitor chemicals and semiconductors, has been given the green light to build a battery materials production facility on an 81,000 square metre site.
The newly-formed Capchem Poland subsidiary said it won a tender from the regional government of Lower Silesia Province to develop the facility on an industrial site in the region.
Capchem did not release details of the site or its investment, but confirmed the site will produce 40,000 tonnes of lithium-ion battery electrolyte, 5,000 tons of NMP (N-Methyl 2-pyrrolidone) solvent and 5,000 tons of CNT (carbon nano-tube) annually.
The project has “now entered the actuation stage”, Capchem said.
The Capchem group board gave the go-ahead last April to establish Capchem Poland in the Silesian regional capital of Wroclaw— Poland’s second largest city. The enterprise has a registered capital equivalent to around US$1.5 million. Shenzhen Capchem holds an 80% stake in the subsidiary with Capchem (HongKong) holding the remaining shares.
BEST Battery Briefing reported last March that Poland had ‘sweetened’ a deal with South Korea’s LG Chem to build a major batteries production plant in the country for electric vehicles— with a grant reportedly worth more than $70m.
Poland is not the only European nation attracting Asia’s battery makers. In 2017, Hungary said it would provide grant aid to support Japan-based lead-acid company GS Yuasa in its plans to build a lithium battery manufacturing plant in the country’s northeast.
South Korean tech giants Samsung SDI and SK innovation are also investing in Hungary for EV battery plants.
BBB revealed last month that Germany was supporting construction of a battery cells factory in the country by China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology.
