Battery storage is part of the green future

Swedish Northvolt was founded to meet the pressing need for a more sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. Batteries and battery storage have an enabling role, not least because it’s possible to use the energy when it is needed and not when it is produced.
– Electric cars and the automotive industry are just one of many areas where batteries can contribute to a better climate, says Katarina Borstedt, Director of Growth.

The Gigafactory Northvolt ETT is now starting up its production in parallel with ongoing construction and installation. Construction works on the second part of the factory are just about to start.

Investing in northern Sweden came down to three decisive factors – green energy, available land and cooperation with society.
– Skellefteå has proven to be the partner Northvolt needs. Our establishment is not only important for business, but it also contributes to a major change in society, says Katarina Borstedt.

Closing the loop
Simultaneously whilst building the production site, Northvolt is also working towards closing the loop on materials at a record pace. Already by 2030, 50% of the raw materials for battery production will come from recycled material. To enable this, Northvolt together with the Norwegian company Hydro, has created a company called Hydrovolt that will collect and dismantle old lithium-ion batteries. The site, located in Norway, went live in 2022 and will send the dismantled material to Skellefteå in the near future.
– In Skellefteå we now have started the construction of our Revolt recycling plant. Here we will take the dismantled material from old batteries and recycle it. The particles will be returned to the chemical process in battery manufacturing, says Katarina Borstedt.

More investments to come
During the past years, Northvolt has grown significantly. In addition to the battery plant in Skellefteå, Northvolt is also building new industries in Göteborg together with Volvo Cars, in Borlänge and in Germany.
– Skellefteå is our hub where we gather all of the parts in our value chain. Demo North was important to understand all the exciting things that are happening in northern Sweden which we are very proud to be part of, concludes Katarina Borstedt.