Zurich, Switzerland, September 28, 2017.
Swedish engineering giant, ABB has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Northvolt to build Europe’s largest lithium-ion battery factory. The partnership will enable Northvolt to become Europe’s largest battery supplier with the help of ABB’s industrial automation expertise. The factory hopes to supply European customers in the automotive and key industries with high quality and customisable battery solutions.
ABB Technology Ventures (ATV) will support the initial phase of the project through an early investment. However, ABB’s role in the collaboration will comprise of more than financial help. Northvolt will be able to build their state-of-the-art factory with ABB’s plan to integrate robotics, machine and factory automation, and electrification with ABB Ability, ABB’s unified, cross-industry digital offering, into one overall solution.
“We are excited to support Northvolt’s project to build the battery factory of the future here in one of our home countries”, said Ulrich Spiesshofer, CEO, ABB.
The uniquely integrated factory would be a true showcase for ABB’s leadership in industrial automation and smart electrification. It would also help to meet the ever-increasing demand for smarter, greener storage solutions and lessen the reliance on fossil fuels. Both partners have agreed on a technology collaboration to drive innovation in battery technology in areas such as production platform, cell and module design, and battery performance.
With increasing global pressure to turn to cut vehicle emissions, Northvolt believes that electrification is the key to a carbon neutral society. The company also aims to reduce dependence on China and South Korea as European car makers try to move further away from fossil fuels. The shift to e-mobility alone will drive the need for batteries to new heights. The ability to store energy is also crucial to free the world’s energy generation and distribution from fossil fuels in a phased manner.
“The world is moving quickly towards electrification. We want to enable this transition by building the largest, cutting-edge lithium-ion battery factory on the European continent and producing the world’s greenest batteries. ABB is at the forefront of the electrification, and we are delighted to have them on-board as strategic partner, key supplier and investor”, said Peter Carlsson, CEO, Northvolt.
The factory is expected to start production in 2020 while a demonstration line will be ready by 2019, allowing Northvolt to continuously optimize products and processes
Leave a Reply