Strong together - an integrated approach to battery cell production
Large Asian providers hold the leading positions in battery and battery cell production. Together with specialized project developers, they can quickly expand production capacity, including in locations outside their home countries. However, "turnkey" offerings in Europe must also be fully compliant with EU standards, and in practice this has proven to be a major challenge for providers from other markets.
In view of the critical supply chains and the importance of basic battery and battery cell know-how for the future development of the automotive sector, industry leaders and policymakers are seeking to establish their own production facilities in the EU. It is true that there are no large turnkey providers here as there are in Asia. However, this is not necessarily a disadvantage - on the contrary, it opens up opportunities for European specialists who combine their expertise in different production steps and subject areas. If they succeed in creating optimal conditions for efficient production and thus low operating costs (OPEX) at a very early stage - starting with the cell design - under expert guidance, they can compete economically with offers with lower investment costs (CAPEX). This is because lower total cost of ownership (TCO) can be achieved over the life cycle, which more than offsets the initially high investment costs
The white paper "On the way to European battery cell production", which you can download here, reveals the requirements that need to be mastered and how European battery cell production can be successfully established.