Chinese battery company CATL said it will install six battery cell production lines by the end of 2023 at its new German battery plant. It hopes to secure approval for 24GWh by June, Matthias Zentgraf, president of CATL Europe, told reporters.
CATL’s €1.8 billion ($2.0 billion) German factory near Erfurt, its first in Europe and biggest outside China, sent its first sample lithium-ion battery cells to clients in December 2022.
At current capacity of 14 GWh, the company is targeting output of 30 million cells per year – enough to power around 350,000 electric cars with a 40KWh battery, Zentgraf said at an event at the plant to mark the start of production.
A second European plant in Europe, to be the continent’s largest at 100GWh, is in the planning phase. Construction should start in the second half of the year, Zentgraf said. The aim is to begin production within two to three years.
Wolfgang Tiefensee, industry minister of the federal state of Thüringia, said: “For Thüringia, the location by CATL is one of the most significant industrial investments of recent decades.” He foresees a possible “Thüringia battery valley” due to the growing expertise in the region.
