Northvolt to expand Swedish R&D facility with $750m investment

Swedish battery developer Northvolt is investing $750 million for the expansion of its existing Northvolt Labs in Västerås, Sweden into a fully integrated ecosystem to drive technological advances in the emerging battery industry in Europe.

The expanded lab will feature testing facilities and the Revolt pilot recycling plant, which will directly feed recycled raw materials into on-site production.

According to Northvolt, the expanded campus will give access to customers to a toolbox covering the full-spectrum of value-chain activities pertaining to lithium-ion battery design, development, and lifecycle.

Peter Carlsson — Co-Founder and CEO of Northvolt said: “There is today an irreversible momentum surrounding the switch to battery electric solutions. Northvolt Labs is being expanded in order to capitalize on this – to drive the transition at even greater speed towards safe, sustainable battery solutions.

“By establishing a campus where industrial actors can engage, surrounded by all necessary facilities, it is our belief that we can create the necessary foundation for Europe to emerge as the leading region for a technology that is at the heart of the race to decarbonize.”

Northvolt to expand Swedish R&D facility with $750m investment. Photo courtesy of Northvolt AB.

The Swedish battery manufacturer said that the new facility will feature a research and development (R&D) center, an office, and a customer center.

The R&D center, which is currently under construction, will facilitate the development of new battery cell materials and products. This will open opportunities for Northvolt to cope up with the increasing demand for customized solutions, and at the same time exploring on next-generation cell technologies.

Yasuo Anno — Chief Development Officer of Northvolt said: “Establishing this campus is the natural next step for Northvolt in its mission to deliver world-leading battery technologies. R&D, cell design and module development, battery recycling, manufacturing process development – these fields cannot proceed in isolation.

“By bringing all the parts of the puzzle together, on a single campus, we will be uniquely positioned to develop battery solutions for the global battery market.”