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Erfurt / Berlin (dpa) – In Thuringia is built one of the largest battery cell factories for electric cars in Europe.
The contract for the major project of the Chinese manufacturer CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd.) was signed on the sidelines of the German-Chinese intergovernmental consultations in Berlin.
As the first customer of the new factory near Erfurt, the manufacturer granted BMW a one billion dollar order to the Chinese on the same day. The hope is that other German car companies will follow.
Due to the rapid growth in the number of electric cars in Europe the demand for batteries and battery cells will increase rapidly in the years to come. VW, Daimler and BMW buy cells in Asia and then build them themselves in big batteries for their electric cars. The federal government and unions fear being too dependent on Asian suppliers and have long called for a national or at least European solution.
By 2022, CATL plans to invest about 240 million euros in the plant of the "Erfurter Kreuz" industrial zone and create 600 new jobs there. In the long run, according to the dpa's information, up to 1,000 jobs could be created.
Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) speaks of an important day for Thuringia. This technology is not offered by German suppliers until now, so the German car industry should also buy Chinese products. "If we could do it myself, I would not be sad," said Merkel. If the Chinese investor comes to Europe, it would be good if it happens in Germany.
According to the Thuringian Minister of Economic Affairs, Wolfgang Tiefensee (SPD), the project is one of the most important industrial investments of the last ten years in Thuringia. The country has the opportunity to "become one of the most important European sites for battery technology". It would be the first European production site for batteries.
After more than a year of negotiations, the CATL group is opening for the first time the production of its vehicle batteries outside China, according to a statement from the Ministry of Economic Affairs of Thuringia. Automated batteries will be produced in the factory and the capacity will be 14 gigawatt hours. The factory is planned as an independent enterprise with production, research and development as well as logistics.
The largest Chinese manufacturer CATL, founded in 2011, wanted to emphasize the importance of the German market with the decision, it was said. Europe is an important growth region for the company. The battery manufacturer, listed on the stock market since this year, also has a branch in Munich.
"By establishing state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery technology in Germany and local delivery options, we are closer to the customer and can deliver customer-specific solutions and respond more quickly to customer demands," says Robin Zeng. , CEO of CATL. Car manufacturers such as BMW, Daimler and VW could be offered on-site solutions. In addition, CATL could integrate European manufacturing know-how. Asian companies are leaders in the manufacture of batteries.
BMW wants to buy battery cells worth four billion euros at CATL. Cells worth 1.5 billion euros are expected to come from the planned CATL plant in 2021 in Erfurt said BMW purchasing director Markus Duesmann in Munich. The cells would then be driven from Erfurt to the BMW factory in Dingolfing, 400 kilometers away, where they would be badembled into modules for the fully electric BMW i-next. BMW buys cells for an additional 2.5 billion euros at CATL in China.
BMW is the first client of the CATL factory near Erfurt. Because larger production volumes reduce costs per piece, it would be "not bad if Daimler also buys in Erfurt," said Duesmann. BMW wanted to have a cell factory closer to German factories. With subsidies, "good political will" and reasonably low labor costs, it works, BMW has also participated in CATL factory equipment.
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