EU invests 852 million euros in green battery projects for electric cars!

EU invests 852 million euros in green battery projects for electric cars!

Kirchentellinsfurt, Deutschland - The European Commission has announced today that it will invest 852 million euros in six innovative projects for the production of battery cells for electric vehicles. These funds come from the innovation fund, which is financed by the EU emission trade system. The aim of this initiative is to promote European battery production, reduce CO₂ emissions and to strengthen the competitiveness of industry. The planned projects are located in France, Germany, Sweden and Poland and are to be put into operation by 2030 at the latest, with a common production capacity of around 56 gigawatt hours a year.

These investments are part of the European industrial action plan and the "Clean Industrial Deal". The EU has already invested around 12 billion euros in more than 200 projects since 2021 to accelerate climate neutrality in Europe. With the implementation of these projects, a possible saving of around 91 million tons of CO₂ is expected in the first ten years. The funding will cover the investment and operating costs of these projects and take place gradually when the milestones are set.

detailed project overview

The six selected projects are:

• Accept - Automotive Cells Company, France
• agathe - Verben, France
• cf3_at_scale - Cellforce Group, Germany
• Novo One - Novo Energy, Sweden
• WGF2G - Leclanché, Germany
• 46ineu - LG Energy Solution, Poland

The “CF3_AT_SCALE” project of the Cellforce Group, based in Kirchentellinsfurt, aims to increase the production capacity for powerful battery cells to 1.6 GWH per year. Special emphasis is placed on sustainability and it is closely worked with European system suppliers. Another project, "WGF2G" by Leclanché, plans to develop a PFAS-free manufacturing process with a capacity of 2 GWH by 2030, whereby water-based electrodes with a reduced cobalt content are to be used.

The context of the investments

The growing number of battery -operated electric vehicles and the decarbonization of the energy sector require a significant increase in battery production in Europe. However, the majority of the batteries are currently being produced in Asia. The EU pursues the goal of covering 90% of its battery needs from domestic production by 2030. Failure of this plan could lead to an increased dependence on external suppliers, which could ultimately endanger the industrial competitiveness of Europe.

A study by Fraunhofer ISI has shown that the demand for battery cells in Europe is expected to exceed 1 TWH per year by 2030. This raises the question of whether the existing and planned production capacities will be sufficient to meet the need. It is estimated that Europe could cover up to 50-60% of its needs through domestic production, but the ambitious goal of 90% remains uncertain.

In order to meet these challenges, the study recommends that to accelerate the expansion of production capacities, create stable framework conditions and to strengthen public-private partnerships. The importance of a strong industrial policy strategy for ensuring equal competitive conditions and local added value is also emphasized.