Europe is planning battery cell production

10/13/2017 | Print view

The EU wants to build up the whole value chain for batteries. So far manufacturers are sourcing the battery cells from Asia. - © Sonnen — © Sonnen

The EU wants to build up the whole value chain for batteries. So far manufacturers are sourcing the battery cells from Asia.

The EU is striving to build a complete value chain for the production of battery energy storage. A strategic plan is planned for the coming year.

Europe wants to produce batteries itself. In the EU, EU member states want to cover the entire value chain with a pan-European battery production - from the production of the raw materials through the cell to the finished storage device. To date, this value chain only includes the assembly of the accumulators - both for the electric cars as well as for stationary equipment. The cells usually come from East Asia and are mostly produced with the raw materials produced there. The market leader here is China, followed by Korea and Japan.

EU needs its own cell production

This should change in perspective. In Brussels, the Commissioner for Energy Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič met the representatives of the relevant ministries in the EU Member States to mutually confirm that a pan-European battery cell production is necessary. "We need European sovereignty in key technologies, and battery cell technology is one of the most important differentiating factors in electromobility”, Matthias Machnig, State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Economics said. "If Germany wants to remain a premium manufacturer, we need independent production for battery cells."

The Polish government's representative also stressed that her government wanted to take charge of the promotion of batteries and to promote the construction of large production plants. By the year 2025 there should be one million electric vehicles in Poland. And in public transport, more than 30 percent of vehicles should be free of emissions. The French government's representative also called for the development and production of batteries in Europe.

Plan is to stand until February

Šefčovič wants to be assured that the batteries are also available when they are needed. Independence from Asian suppliers is crucial, he stressed. In order to achieve that, the Commission draws on the cooperation of the Member States and the support of the European Investment Bank. But the mills grind slowly. Firstly, a strategic plan is to be drawn up in February on how the target can be achieved. According to Šefčovič, this could then be presented at the Clean Energy Industrial Forum within the framework of the EU Industrial Days. (HCN/SU)