Northvolt wraps up construction at Polish battery gigafactory

May 23 (Renewables Now) - Swedish energy storage specialist Northvolt AB has finalised the construction of a gigafactory for battery energy storage systems in Gdansk, Poland, touted as the largest production facility of its kind in Europe.

The Northvolt Dwa complex is due to launch production activities at the end of this year, when Northvolt will also hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony, the company said in a LinkedIn post last week.

The factory for battery modules and systems will have an initial output of 5 GWh, while its future potential capacity is planned to reach 12 GWh. When it first unveiled the project in 2021, the Swedish group said it would source lithium-ion cells from its battery gigafactory in Skelleftea, northern Sweden.

The manufacturing process will be powered entirely with renewable power. "This aligns with our company's business model, which focuses on using only green energy in all our factories located in Poland, Sweden, and Germany, as well as utilizing recycled materials," said Robert Chryc-Gawrychowski, CEO of Northvolt Poland.

Alongside the factory, Northvolt will set up an engineering research and development (R&D) center.

The Stokholm-based company has announced a recruitment campaign for Northvolt Dwa as it seeks to open at least 200 jobs. Some 300 production operators, technicians, engineers, and specialists have already been hired.