Power or fuel - Minister views Brandenburg as a potential site for a battery installation.
Brandenburg will continue to be a hub for battery manufacturing, even after the withdrawal of Chinese battery maker Svolt, said Economy Minister Jörg Steinbach during a meeting with the State Parliament's Economic Committee in Potsdam on Wednesday. "One link in the chain has snapped," he acknowledged, but highlighted that there are numerous battery cell factories in the surrounding area, including Tesla. The planned lithium production by Rock Tech in Guben (Spree-Neisse) is still on track.
Despite the setback, Steinbach is confident about the battery sector in Brandenburg. He pointed out that Schwarzheide will remain secure, what with Tesla producing battery cells to a certain level of maturity, Altech producing anode material in Schwarze Pumpe, and BASF handling cathode production and battery recycling in Schwarzheide. There's a clear value chain for batteries, he assured.
Svolt, the Chinese battery manufacturer, had earlier announced its decision not to set up shop in Lauchhammer in the Lausitz region. The reasons cited included market uncertainties in the automotive sector, shifts in strategies by auto manufacturers, and the cancellation of a customer project. "There won't be a battery factory from Svolt in Europe, which also affects Saarland," Steinbach confirmed. "The planned factory in Saarland will also not be realized - just like the one in Lauchhammer." The economic development of Brandenburg is trying to find a suitable replacement for the now-vacant site.
Rock Tech, meanwhile, has a plan to construct a lithium processing plant in Guben for producing lithium hydroxide, a key raw material for battery production in electric cars and energy storage. The company has already gained a partial permit from Brandenburg's government. However, Rock Tech will not receive federal funding under the "Resilience and Sustainability of the Battery Cell Manufacturing Ecosystem" since the budget is tight. "Negotiations are ongoing, but I cannot yet announce a final decision," Steinbach said, adding that they are on the right track, though.
In Brandenburg, there were 33 companies working in the battery supply chain last year, employing around 9,300 people, according to the Economic Development Agency.
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