For our first story, Stellantis and Samsung SDI have entered into a memorandum of understanding to establish the second manufacturing facility in the U.S., which will be an extension of the existing Star Plus Energy joint venture. The target for production to begin is in 2027 with an initial annual production capacity of 34GWh. This collaboration comes after the companies previously announced their commitment to building the first battery manufacturing facility in Kokomo, Indiana, which is set to launch in the first quarter of 2025. The establishment of the second battery plant aligns with Stellantis’ ambitious goal of offering at least 25 new electric battery vehicles in the North American market by the end of the decade. Stellantis CEO, Carlos Tavares emphasized the importance of expanding production capacity in the U.S. to achieve carbon neutrality commitments by 2038.
For our second story, Vinfast is set to start constructing its manufacturing facility at the Triangle Innovation Point, located in Chatham County, North Carolina. The sprawling area, spanning around 1,800 acres will host Vinfast’s factory, which is projected to have an initial capacity to produce 150,000 vehicles per year during its first phase. This cutting-edge facility will be divided into two primary sections: The first dedicated to electric vehicle production and the other focused on assembly. In addition, the complex will provide space for supplementary supplier businesses. With the necessary permits in hand, the construction for phase one of the projects is all set to commence. Once operational, the Vinfast factory would not only bolster the company's manufacturing capabilities, but will also create an entire ecosystem of suppliers, resulting in the generation of thousands of new job opportunities in the area. Production at the factory is scheduled to commence in 2025. As part of the project, Vinfast secured a substantial incentive package of $1.2 billion from the state of North Carolina in the previous year. Additionally, the city of Sanford, Chatham County and the Golden LEAF Foundation provide a crucial financial backing to support the project as well.
For our last story, BASF, the renowned German chemical company has officially opened its cathode materials factory in Brandenburg, Germany. The state-of-the-art plant is already fully booked for the next several years and aims to produce customised materials daily to meet specific requirements of battery cells and automakers all around Europe. Situated in Schwarzheide, BASF’s plan includes the operation of both the cathode materials factory and the battery recycling plant side by side. While both projects have been in development for some time, the company proudly asserts that it will be the first to establish a co-located battery materials and recycling centre along the entire European battery value chain. This integrated approach covers everything from the collection of used batteries to the recovery of mineral raw materials and their use in manufacturing new battery materials. The battery recycling plant is currently under construction and is expected to become operational in 2024. During the inauguration of the cathode materials factory BASF also held a reveal ceremony for the upcoming recycling facility which will produce the so-called "black mass”, which was also mentioned in previous episodes. The Schwarzheide facility is anticipated to manufacture battery materials for more than 400,000 electric vehicles annually, sourcing precursors from BASF’s plant in Harjavalta, Finland. The company boasts of employing world leading process technology, though the specific details regarding the technology's intricacies were not disclosed in recent announcements. One highlight mentioned by BASF is proprietary production technology’s capability to significantly reduce the CO2 footprint of cathode materials through optimized energy consumption and the high reliance on renewable energy sources during the entirety of the production process. This emphasis on sustainability aligns with the growing demand for eco-friendly solutions in the entirety of the electric vehicle battery industry.
These were the biggest updates from the process industry across Europe and the U.S. If you enjoyed this video, please give it a like and comment and share. If you have an advanced engineering project coming up, CMC provides engineering, construction and project management services to help you deliver your project ahead of schedule and under budget. For more information, please visit www.expertise.com or reach out directly to me on LinkedIn.