CATL will invest 240 million euros and create 600 new jobs by 2022. With a capacity of 14 gigawatt hours, the focus of the factory will be on automated production and intelligent manufacturing of batteries. In addition to production, research and development, quality control and high-quality services will play a major role.
The central location of Thuringia, the good infrastructure at the site, the investor service, the availability of qualified experts and the multiple research capacities are among the trump cards which convinced CATL and tipped the balance in the tough worldwide competition between regions. “This significant investment decision catapults our state into the European league at least, since here is where the first ever European production location for battery cells is emerging,” explains Wolfgang Tiefensee, Thuringia’s Minister for Economic Affairs, who himself led the negotiations in China, at the signing of the project agreement in the Federal Chancellery in Berlin at the beginning of July. “We are glad that a world market leader like CATL is relying on Thuringia to accelerate growth of its battery and production technology from here.” CATL will establish its production plant in the “Erfurter Kreuz” industrial park, which has been successfully developed by the State Development Corporation of Thuringia (LEG) since 2005. LEG is energetically supporting the investment project with its competent investor service. (hw)
