The battery manufacturer is cutting staff in Sweden. The construction of the factory near Heide is the cornerstone of the expansion, says Germany boss Haux. A possible change to the schedule remains open.
The ailing 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 boss Christofer Haux. “Heide is and remains a cornerstone in our expansion.” Haux joined via video from Sweden.
The company cannot currently answer whether there will be detailed adjustments to the factory construction schedule, said Haux. “This has nothing to do with Heath.” 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 correct location. “One reason why we are in Heide is the very special energy situation.”
Layoffs in Sweden
Northvolt recently announced the layoffs of an estimated 1,600 employees in its home country of Sweden. In total, this corresponds to almost a quarter of Northvolt’s entire workforce in Sweden. Even if the momentum for electrification remains strong overall, the right steps must be taken at the right time to counter the headwinds in the automotive market, explained Northvolt boss Peter Carlsson.
Haux emphasized to the committee that the company was concentrating on its core business of battery cell production. Sales of electric cars have recently declined in Germany, but not in Europe as a whole.
Northvolt wants to build up to one million battery cells for electric cars per year at Heide in the future. The starting signal for the construction of the 4.5 billion euro project was given at the end of March by, among others, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens).
Source: Stern
