Northvolt to plan battery cell gigafactory in Germany

According to media reports, the Swedish battery company Northvolt wants to build a large battery factory in Germany.  Northvolt is a sought-after partner of several car manufacturers when it comes to battery cells for electric cars and works closely with Volkswagen. 

The source of the information about the battery factory in Schleswig-Holstein is the spokesperson of the responsible office in Heider Umland. According to the report, the authorities, investors and Northvolt have been in talks about the battery factory for several months. There is also said to be a joint declaration of intent by the financial backers, the responsible Heide Umland office, the district of Dithmarschen and the Heide Region Development Company. According to Kieler Nachrichten, Minister-President Daniel Günther and Northvolt CEO Peter Carlsson intend to publish the plans in the coming week.

The site in Heide is attractive for several reasons: it is located directly on the A23 motorway and is thus easily accessible by land. Deep-sea ports are also nearby. In addition, green electricity from the region's wind turbines could be used here for the energy-intensive production of electric car battery cells. According to reports, construction of the Gigafactory is to begin in 2023, and it is expected to start operations in 2025, creating several thousand new jobs.