SVOLT Energy is one of the latest players in the Chinese battery market with an appetite for part of the global pie.
Chinese company SVOLT Energy Technology, the former Battery Business Unit of Great Wall Motor Co., has officially started lithium-ion cell production at its first manufacturing plant in Changzhou, Jiangsu, China.
The first phase of the plant is supposed to reach 4 GWh of cells annually. With the second phase of an additional 8 GWh, the output is scheduled to increase to 12 GWh annually by the end of 2020. Then, the third phase of 6 GWh more will allow SVOLT to produce 18 GWh annually.
Chinese media does not provide info about cell chemistry, but SVOLT tries to be flexible.
SVOLT highlights the advantage of “high-speed lamination on prismatic lithium-ion batteries”, which, if it represents lower costs, might be a chance to attract first volume customers (aside Great Wall Motor).
“The facility sited at Jintan is SVOLT Energy’s first battery plant and also the global first intelligent battery cell plant which adopts high-speed lamination on prismatic lithium-ion batteries. It integrates smart delivery, quality traceability and analysis, digital quality testing systems and the like.”
SVOLT’s investment in the first plant is estimated at 8 billion yuan ($1.14 billion). Besides that, the company is also promising a few other plants in China and in Europe for a total of up to around 100 GWh annually by 2025. The European facility is expected to be 24 GWh.
Source: autonews.gasgoo.com via electrive.com