Sweden – Northvolt and Stora Enso have signed a letter of intent to purchase the Kvarnsveden Mill in surrounding industrial area of Borlänge, Sweden.
To turn the site into a battery cell and active material manufacturing facility, Northvolt will reuse and renovate the majority of the existing facilities and infrastructure on site.
By the end of 2024, the gigafactory should be up and running, with a workforce of up to 1,000 people and a reliance on local clean energy sources of 100 percent. Cathode material production at the site could reach more than 100 GWh per year, enabling cell assembly at multiple Northvolt facilities.
Green battery
The mill, which opened in 1900 and produced pulp and paper for 120 years, closed in 2021, displacing 400 workers. With this agreement, Stora Enso has demonstrated a strong commitment to finding the best long-term solution for its former employees and Borlänge. During the transition period, key managers from the Kvarnsveden site will stay on to make the most of the existing infrastructure and facilitate a quick transformation.
Thus, Northvolt’s goal of developing the world’s greenest lithium-ion battery and creating a steady supply of batteries to help society decarbonize is one step closer to reality with the completion of this new venture. With the help of partners in Sweden, Norway, Poland, Germany, and Portugal, the factory will play an important role in delivering more than $50 billion in orders from key customers.
