2023-05-12 01:52:24
The Taiwanese group ProLogium announced on Friday May 12 that it wanted to set up its first battery factory abroad in Dunkirk (North), where French President Emmanuel Macron will visit during the day to highlight the reindustrialization of the region. Hauts de France.
“There are many reasons for setting up in France”, declares, in an interview with several press agencies, the vice-president responsible for the international development of the group, Gilles Normand. The company intends to make France a pioneer land, to mass-produce a new generation of battery, called ” solid “more resistant and more powerful than the previous ones, assures the group.
In total, ProLogium intends to invest 5.2 billion euros in Dunkirk by 2030 to reach an annual production capacity of 48 GWh, enough for hundreds of thousands of cars. The group hopes to start production at the end of 2026 and ramp up over several years, with the key to 3,000 jobs in the factory and 12,000 indirect jobs for the territory.
“A real ecosystem for batteries is developing”
The Taiwanese company wanted “have access to carbon-free electricity”, gold in Dunkirk, “we not only have access to nuclear electricity but there are also offshore wind turbines”lists Gilles Normand. “A real ecosystem for batteries is developing in the north of France”, he greets, while three other “gigafactories” projects have already been announced there: in Douvrin, whose opening is scheduled for the end of May; in Douai; and in Dunkirk already, with the French start-up Verkor.
“This will allow us to have a critical mass to see material suppliers set up”while current so-called “lithium-ion” batteries are very greedy in critical metals such as lithium, graphite or cobalt, with a supply chain now largely controlled by China.
This also allows “proximity to our customers because many electric vehicle factories are located in Northern Europe” et “Dunkirk is very well connected by rail, road and a deep-water port which facilitates the import and export of our products”continues Gilles Normand.
ProLogium, founded in 2006, presents itself as a pioneer in solid-state batteries that makes it possible to achieve “a power between 360 and 390 watts per kg against between 160 and 180 watts per kg for lithium-ion batteries”assures its founder and CEO, Vincent Yang.
New technology
The solid battery is distinguished from its competitors by its solid electrolyte – to carry the electrical charge – and not liquid as in traditional batteries. The separator – a key element for the operation of a battery – is made of ceramic and not of polymer, making the battery much more resistant to shocks, less prone to short circuits and therefore to catching fire. The anode – one of the two electrodes – is entirely made of silicon oxide, easier to find in Europe than the usual graphite, which comes “90% from China”according to Mr. Normand.
“Currently, at least six equipment manufacturers in Europe and the United States are in the test phase”adds Vincent Yang, while this technology is still waiting to be approved for electric mobility.
The solid battery allows for serious improvements, according to the two leaders. “It charges to 80% in twelve minutes, whereas if we take a Tesla Model 3, for example, it takes twenty minutes” in fast charge, explains Mr. Normand.
The new technology makes it possible to “double autonomy” batteries while reducing their weight “of at least 11%, i.e. at least 50 kg”, he continued. Gold “50 kg on a car is huge, it reduces the braking system, etc. »
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The plant will need to reach a production level of 30 GWh before being competitive, he said. ProLogium initially planned to invest on its own funds before filling its order book. Battery certifications “will take at least two years” before it is adopted by builders, predicts Mr. Normand.
Since its creation, ProLogium has raised 700 million euros and counts Mercedes-Benz among its shareholders. The company relies on European and national financial aid for green industry and is planning an IPO to finance its investments.
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