North Sweden Cleantech

Fossil-Free Battery Factory Accelerates Transition to Electric with 100% Green Energy

Northvolt in Skellefteå is the greenest battery plant in Europe, providing sustainable replacement of fossil fuels through the large-scale manufacture of batteries for the electrification of transport and vehicles. What’s more, the plant uses 100% green energy.

Electrification and renewable energy storage are key to a carbon-neutral society and the electrification of transport and vehicles. The ability to store energy is also crucial to free the world’s energy generation and distribution from coal, oil and natural gas. The Swedish battery plant Northvolt is accelerating this transition by building Europe’s greenest lithium-ion battery plant, enabling more sustainable battery production that further reduces CO2 emissions.

Increasing need for batteries as an energy source

Batteries are vital to enable the transition from fossil fuels to electrification. But battery manufacturing has its own challenges. One is the huge demand, with the automotive industry alone needing batteries in huge numbers to replace fossil fuels with electricity. Another challenge is development and manufacturing, which consumes a lot of energy and thus causing new carbon emissions.

Halving CO2 output from battery production

In light of these challenges, there are several environmental and climate benefits in establishing large-scale battery production in Sweden. Due to the Swedish energy mix, CO2 output for battery production can be halved compared, for example, with an Asian energy mix.

Sweden’s uniquely safe, competitive and green energy system is an important factor in the establishment of this new industry, which is one of the biggest industrial investments in Europe. The electrification of the transport sector is creating new opportunities and new know-how, and Northvolt’s large-scale battery production will give Sweden a central role in this transition, to mitigate the climate impact of the transport sector in Sweden as well as globally.

Facts, figures and future

Northvolt’s first large-scale battery factory is based in Skellefteå in the north of Sweden, and is one of the largest industrial investments in Europe. Northvolt Ett will serve as Northvolt’s primary site for manufacturing active material, cell assembly, recycling and auxiliaries. The factory is powered by 100 percent clean energy. Large-scale manufacturing will start in 2021 and the annual capacity will ramp up to at least 32 GWh by 2024, with the potential to expand to 40 GWh in the future.

Come and visit Northvolt Ett and get a glimpse of the challenges and opportunities at Europe’s greenest battery factory in Skellefteå.


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