Research & Development

Italy set to host a battery gigafactory

Italian start-up Italvolt wants to build a €4 billion EV battery manufacturing facility in Italy. The site for the project is currently being identified, and the factory’s initial capacity should reach 45 GWh.
Emiliano Bellini
By
Emiliano Bellini
A rendering of the planned factory. | Image: Italvolt

Italian start-up Italvolt Spa is planning to build a 70 GWh manufacturing facility for EV batteries at an as-yet-unspecified location in Italy.

The company said that it wants to invest around €4 billion in the new factory, which will have an initial capacity of 45 GWh.

Italvolt is currently seeking to identify a location for the factory, with due diligence and evaluation exercises already underway at several sites in Italy. “With its gigafactory, Italvolt wants to give an important response to the historic opportunity of green industrialization, which is involving all production sectors across the board, with a socio-economic impact that will represent a turning point for the global economy,” Italvolt CEO Lars Carlstrom stated.

The project’s first phase is expected to be finalized by the end of 2024. Italian car design firm and coachbuilder Pininfarina will be responsible for the architectural design of the new factory, while Italian industrial automation company Comau will provide the production equipment and will be responsible for the setting up of an R&D laboratory.

“When built, the factory will be the largest of its kind in Europe, and the 12th largest worldwide,” Italvolt said.

In Europe, there are currently at least three similar gigafactories in various stages of development: One under construction by U.S. electric car maker Tesla in Berlin, Germany; another planned by France-based battery cell producer Verkor in Rodez, about 150km northeast of Toulouse, and Northvolt’s plans for production at sites in Sweden and Germany.

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Alex
Feb 15, 2021

About time Italy joined the party, though a ittle bit late:
https://www.orovel.net/insights/li-on-battery-gigafactories-in-europe-june-2020
This factory would be about 10th, though it’s currently scheduled to be the largest. If they can plan on making it solar powered in the south of Italy, that would be good, though quite far from its customers. But then Sweden’s Northvolt is building in the farNorth, equally far from customers.

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