VARTA AG today officially laid the foundation stone for the expansion of its production at the company’s production site in Nördlingen. The new building, which connects directly to the existing plant, will provide a production area of more than 15,000 square meters on two floors. Here, the latest generation of lithium-ion cells will be manufactured on highly automated production lines from next year on.
“In Nördlingen, we are building the most modern lithium-ion battery cell factory for the large growth market of wearables and the Internet of things”, VARTA AG CEO Herbert Schein says. “It is unique in the world. We will expand the CoinPower cell production at the Nördlingen location once more. This building will mark another milestone in our growth plans through innovative factory planning, taking, amongst other things, CO2 consumption into account.” VARTA AG is the global market and innovation leader in small lithium-ion batteries (CoinPower). According to Schein, only a few months lay between planning of the expansion and the start of actual construction. “It is this speed, from idea to implementation, that is at the core of VARTA AG’s success. Speed in innovation and implementation will be the decisive factors in the future, especially in the face of our international competitors. And it is the partnership with the region that enables us to develop and produce technology here that is unparalleled anywhere in the world.”
VARTA AG has continuously improved lithium technology in recent years and has regularly set new industry standards. In the new plant, lithium-ion cells with a 30 percent improved energy density will be manufactured in the future. In addition to developing the latest generation of small-format lithium-ion cells with even higher energy densities, the VARTA Group plans to transfer its innovative technology to larger formats in the future.
The foundation stone was laid during a visit by Bavaria’s Prime Minister Dr. Markus Söder and the Secretary of State in the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Roland Weigert. The battery is already one of the key technologies for Germany and Europe, and its further development will be funded as part of a so-called important project of common European interest (IPCEI). The Federal State of Bavaria is contributing 32 million euros for the research and development of lithium-ion technology at the Nördlingen site, and the federal government is contributing another 70 million euros. In total, VARTA AG receives more than 300 million euros in funding from the federal and state governments.
Construction of the 91 meter long, 98 meter wide and 22.5 meter high, three-story building in Nördlingen started at the beginning of the year. A celebration of the laying of the foundation stone had to be postponed due to the restrictions caused by the corona pandemic.
SOURCE: VARTA
