It looks like the Netherlands is getting its Gigafactory after all. The Anglo-Korean battery company Eurocell has sent out a statement that it’s in advanced talks with Dutch authorities and the Investment and Development Agency for the Northern Netherlands (NOM). “As we enter the final stages of discussions, we’re confident that we’ll be able to confirm the exact location of our first European Gigafactory in the near future,” said Nick Clay, chief commercial officer of Eurocell EMEA.
In 2018, both northern and southern Dutch provinces tried to convince Tesla to build its first European Gigafactory in their territory. The northern lobby even started the “Top Dutch” PR campaign, which included renting a billboard near Tesla’s headquarters to attract CEO Elon Musk’s attention. It was to no avail: a location near Berlin was selected.
Eurocell EMEA is a joint venture of three Korean technology firms (including battery company Eurocell) and five European investors. Calling for an initial investment of nearly 800 million euros, the company plans to build a factory to produce batteries that will be used for energy storage, automotive and e-mobility applications. Those batteries will last over ten times longer than conventional lithium-ion cells, according to Eurocell.
The plant is supposed to come online as early as next year, with the second phase of 40 million cells per year to be reached by 2025. The total investment could rise to as much as 2 billion euros by 2028, Eurocell says.
Test less, verify Moore
At the Bits&Chips Event 2023 on 12 October 2023, Phillipa Hopcroft from Crocotec and Ivo ter Horst from ASML will kick off with a keynote speech on transforming how lithography machine software is built. Make sure to keep an eye on the website for program updates and save the date!