Varta has laid the foundation stone for production line expansion for lithium-ion cells at its site in Nördlingen.
The new building, which connects directly to the existing plant, will provide a production area of more than 15,000 square metres on two floors.
The latest generation of lithium-ion cells will be manufactured on automated production lines from next year.
“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”, said Varta CEO, Herbert Schein.
“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.
“It is this speed, from idea to implementation, that is at the core of Varta’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.”
In the new plant, lithium-ion cells with a 30% improved energy density will be manufactured in the future.
In addition to developing the latest generation of small-format lithium-ion cells with higher energy densities, the Varta Group plans to transfer its technology to larger formats in the future.
The foundation stone was laid during a visit by Bavaria Prime Minister, Markus Söder and Secretary of State in the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Roland Weigert.
Further development of batteries will be funded as part of an Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI).
The Federal State of Bavaria is contributing EUR32m (US$37m) for research and development of lithium-ion technology at the Nördlingen site and the Federal government is contributing a further EUR70m.
In total, Varta receives more than EUR300m in funding from Federal and State governments.
