The struggling battery manufacturer Northvolt has made a clear commitment to the construction of the battery factory in Schleswig-Holstein in the state parliament's economic committee. "We need this factory in Heide," said Northvolt's Germany chief, Christofer Haux. "Heide is and remains a cornerstone in our expansion." Haux was connected via video from Sweden.
Whether there will be any adjustments to the schedule of the factory's construction is something the company currently cannot answer, Haux said. "This has nothing to do with Heide." The reason is the overall strategy. The company continues to feel strong support from the region. That is one reason why this is an important and right location. "One reason why we are in Heide is the very special energy situation."
Layoffs in Sweden
Recently, Northvolt announced the layoff of an estimated 1,600 employees in its Swedish homeland. Overall, this corresponds to nearly a quarter of Northvolt's entire workforce in Sweden. Although the momentum of electrification overall remains strong, the right steps need to be taken at the right time to face headwinds in the automotive market, explained Northvolt CEO Peter Carlsson.
Haux emphasized in the committee that the company is focusing on its core business of battery cell manufacturing. While the sale of electric cars in Germany has recently declined, this is not the case in Europe overall. In Heide, Northvolt plans to build up to one million battery cells for electric cars per year. The kickoff for the €4.5 billion project was given at the end of March by, among others, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens).
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