Valmet Automotive celebrates the Uusikaupunki, Finland battery plant today. The Grand Opening event is attended by 150 guests, including Mika Lintilä, Minister of Economic Affairs. The new plant is a significant investment by Valmet Automotive in the EV systems business with 120 million euros and it will create hundreds of new jobs.
In the Grand Opening event, the Uusikaupunki battery plant is presented for the first time and it marks the start of production of high-voltage automotive battery modules and battery packs in the new plant. Among the invitees of the event are representatives from the media, partner companies and various other stakeholders.
The event includes an introduction to the battery production facilities and processes of the new plant and speeches by Valmet Automotive’s CEO Olaf Bongwald and SVP EV Systems Jyrki Nurmi. The guest speakers are Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä, President of Central Organization of Finnish Trade Unions Jarkko Eloranta and Mayor of Uusikaupunki Atso Vainio.
The new battery plant is in the same building with the Uusikaupunki car plant, offering a unique combination of manufacturing services and logistical optimization among automotive service providers. The plant extension with battery production is an essential part of the long-term strategic plan to develop the Uusikaupunki plant.
The Uusikaupunki battery plant will be further extended, running with four battery production lines in 2024. Valmet Automotive’s total investment in the Uusikaupunki battery plant will be around 120 million Euros and the plant will have an annual capacity of 500,000 battery modules and battery packs.
– We are proud to present our new battery plant in Uusikaupunki. It is a milestone in realizing our ambitious EV strategy. The possibility of producing electric vehicles and battery systems under one roof is a unique offering for the automotive industry. We now also open a new chapter in the history of our Uusikaupunki location, the heart and soul of Valmet Automotive, says Olaf Bongwald, CEO, Valmet Automotive.
– With the battery plants now in Salo and Uusikaupunki and later also in Kirchardt, we are extending our battery production network and the product range. The strong need for further production capacities for battery systems is proven by the three battery production contracts we already have for our new Uusikaupunki plant, says Jyrki Nurmi, Senior Vice President EV Systems.
The Uusikaupunki battery plant employs around 200 people in the initial stage of production. With the expansion of battery production in the coming years, the number of employees will substantially rise. By 2024, around 500 people will be working at the Uusikaupunki battery plant.
Valmet Automotive now operates two plants for large-scale battery production with Salo and Uusikaupunki sites in Finland, a third battery plant will be opened in Kirchardt, Germany in 2022.
SOURCE: Valmet Automotive
