Second battery cell production project is underway Representatives from nine EU countries adopt work programme at the Federal Economic Affairs Ministry

On 4 September, nine European countries adopted the work programme for a second European battery consortium in Berlin. This took place within the framework of a European workshop on battery cell production held at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, which was attended by representatives of governments and some 30 companies from France, Poland, Italy, Finland, Belgium, Sweden, Slovakia, Spain and Germany. The work programme determines which tasks along the value chain are to be undertaken by the companies involved.

Federal Minister Peter Altmaier said: "In the future, Germany and Europe must also start to develop and manufacture competitive, innovative and environmentally friendly battery cells themselves. Yesterday, we came a good deal closer to achieving this goal. Within the space of just a year, we have succeeded in launching two major European projects for battery cell production. This shows the power that European Member States and companies can muster together in a complex industrial environment."

The Federal Economic Affairs Ministry is currently coordinating two major battery cell production projects with the European Commission and other EU countries. These projects are to be implemented as so-called "Important Projects of Common European Interest" (IPCEIs). German companies will play a major role in both of these projects. The European Commission was also represented at yesterday's workshop in order to support the projects from the very beginning.

The aim of the initiative is to create a functioning ecosystem for battery production – from the processing of raw materials, through battery cell production, to recycling. The battery cells "Made in Europe" are set to build on their own innovations and set new standards for carbon intensity and the sustainability of the batteries.

The Federal Economic Affairs Ministry is providing a total of one billion euros to establish battery cell production. The funding is to help maintain and create value added and jobs in Germany and Europe. In Germany, a special focus will be placed on projects in regions undergoing structural change. The first project, which involves a Franco-German consortium, was presented and prenotified to the European Commission in June.