germany

Industry calls for LIB deposit return scheme in Germany

A series of major fires at waste recycling facilities has led Germany’s lawmakers to investigate the introduction of a compulsory deposit return scheme for lithium-ion batteries.

The proposal, by Germany’s federal association for disposal, water and raw materials management (BDE), is initially focused on halting the disposal of batteries in discarded toys and electronic devices— but could include electric bikes and cars, BEST Battery Briefing(BBB) understands.

Lithium-ion

recycling

battery recycling

germany

BMZ in lithium joint venture with trucks firm Kion

Germany’s BMZ group is teaming up with trucks manufacturer Kion to launch a lithium-ion batteries joint venture.

BMZ said the 50-50 partnership— called Kion Battery Systems— will build a new production facility at BMZ’s existing Karlstein headquarters in Germany and manufacture lithium-ion batteries for industrial trucks in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region.

Blackstone Resources forms solid-state team

Swiss battery metals investor Blackstone Resources said it is forming an international research team that will develop and test “new solid-state battery technologies”.

Blackstone said the team, including “strategic partners” from Germany, Belgium, Poland, Austria, the UK and Switzerland, will form part of its €200 million batteries investment project— which includes plans to build a research centre in the German city of Erfurt.

Blackstone Resources

solid-state batteries

research and development

germany

companies

investment

Germany selects national battery research factory site

The German city of Münster has been chosen to host a new national battery production research factory, in the country’s quest to increase its “competitive edge” in the global electrochemical storage technology market.

Federal education and research minister Anja Karliczek said federal and state authorities would invest a total of €700 million (US$790m) in building the centre, in the northwest of the country, following a nationwide competition announced earlier this year.

Anja Karliczek

national battery production research factory

RWTH Aachen University

germany

Germany could back three battery cells consortia, says minister

Germany could help finance three separate corporate alliances for the domestic production of battery cells for Europe’s growing electric vehicle market, according to the country’s economy minister.

Peter Altmaier (pictured) told Reuters: “We’ve now reached a point where we can say that there is likely to be not only one battery cell consortium, but probably three.”

CATL plans cash boost for German EV gigafactory project

Chinese lithium giant Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) has revealed it is set to pour a total of up to €1.8 billion (US$2.1bn) of cash into its planned electric vehicle (EV) battery plant in Germany.

CATL said the proposed investment included €240 million already pledged for the project at Erfurt, in the east-central state of Thüringen.

Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL)

lithium-ion batteries

Jaguar Land Rover and PSA

Call for EU to rethink competition laws to aid battery makers

The European Union needs to rethink competition laws to better compete in the batteries market with Asian players, a German ministerial aide has told European battery manufacturers.

But Thomas Bareiss (pictured), parliamentary state secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, admitted that while Germany wanted to be “agnostic” in terms of its support for battery technologies, lithium-ion is currently favoured over lead-acid to build a European battery cells industry to cater for electric vehicles.

Sonnen fends off Asian firms in battery storage ‘league table’

Two Asian battery makers are challenging the dominance of Germany's Sonnen as the top provider of energy storage systems in the country, according to latest research.

Sonnen is still ranked No.1 in the annual ‘league table’ of home storage systems with a market share of 18%, according to an annual study compiled by Bonn-based market and opinion research institute EuPD. But South Korea’s LG Chem and China’s BYD are…

Sonnen

BYD

LG Chem

residential battery storage

EuPD

germany

European partners launch German BESS

A 22MW lithium-ion energy storage system has been inaugurated in Germany by a European consortium.

Italy’s Enel Green Power (EGP), German renewables company Enertrag and Swiss battery maker Leclanché launched the €17 million (US$19m) BESS at Cremzow, 102km northeast of Berlin, on 16 May.

Enel Green Power

Enertrag

Leclanché

primary control reserve

Farasis Energy selects Germany for first European LIB plant

San Francisco-based lithium-ion tech company, Farasis Energy, plans to invest more than €600 million (US$672m) in building a battery cell, module and packaging production facility in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt.

The company’s newly formed subsidiary, Farasis Energy Europe, will operate what will be its first European plant at Bitterfeld-Wolfen— which is expected to start making batteries for pure electric vehicles from around the end of 2022.

Farasis Energy

Farasis Energy Europe

Saxony-Anhalt

lithium-ion batteries

germany

Sebastian Wolf

Dr Jürgen Ude