Northvolt Germany

Die Northvolt Muttergesellschaft, Northvolt AB, hat im Rahmen der laufenden Strategieüberprüfung ein freiwilliges Restrukturierungsverfahren nach Chapter 11 angestoßen. Ziel der Maßnahme ist das Einwerben neuer Investitionsmittel. Northvolt Germany ist nicht Teil des Chapter 11-Verfahrens. Die Tochter von Northvolt AB ist eine eigenständige GmbH und unabhängig finanziert. Die Batteriezellfabrik Northvolt Drei bei Heide ist und bleibt ein strategischer Grundpfeiler von Northvolt. Die Bauarbeiten laufen weiter. Bisher wurden keine Fördermittel in Anspruch genommen. Northvolt Germany wird, solange die Restrukturierung der Muttergesellschaft andauert, auch weiterhin keine Mittel abrufen. Vor dem Hintergrund der Restrukturierung und des aktuellen Marktumfeldes ist geplant, in der zweiten Jahreshälfte 2027 mit der ersten Zellmontage am Standort bei Heide zu beginnen und im Anschluss den Fabrikhochlauf zu starten. Ursprünglich war die erste Zellmontage für Ende 2026 vorgesehen.

"𝘐𝘯 𝘌𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦, 𝘸𝘦'𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬, 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯!" 😮 ⚡ - admonishing words and a very knowledgeable overview of the challenges, opportunities and strategies of the battery ecosystem in Europe by Richard BOUVERET, Blue Solutions Michael Kellner, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Kai Alexander Mueller, PowerCo Ilka von Dalwigk, RECHARGE Nicolas F. Steinbacher, Northvolt and our moderator Dr. Simon Engelke, Battery Associates Thank you for these insights! 💪

Open house: Talking to neighbors on site. The citizens' consultation, the “Bürgersprechstunde”, on the Northvolt Drei project has been taking place for more than two years. Last week, it was held on our construction site for the first time. We were able to welcome 45 citizens from the Heide region. VP Operations Daniel Elschner officially introduced himself and explained the complexity of production. Nicolas F. Steinbacher, Program Lead at Northvolt Germany, gave an overview of the construction progress and the current market environment. Both then answered questions from our neighbors on topics such as safety standards, rail infrastructure, the product portfolio, current challenges in Sweden and battery training programs. Thank you to all the participants and to all our partners involved!

Gas pipeline on the move! After five months of construction, the relocation of a 1.1 km section of a major gas pipeline, which crossed the Northvolt Drei site, was completed by SH Netz (HanseWerk-Gruppe) in September. This crucial milestone for our project has been planned for more than two years. The pipeline remained in full operation during the procedure and supply to customers did not need to be cut off. The new stretch is 2.6 km long and runs around the site so that the pipeline will not be located under any future factory buildings. To make gas history in the old pipeline, the remaining methane was removed via two natural gas flares, visible as two large flames. The former section on the construction site will be dismantled in the coming weeks. 

While we are more familiar with cinnamon buns, yesterday was all about Bits & Pretzels, the three-day festival for 7,500 founders, investors, and startup enthusiasts! By the way, Bits & Pretzels also has a tiny little boutique-style side event called Oktoberfest. Together with Herbert Diess, Executive Chairman of the Board of The Mobility House and former CEO of Volkswagen, and Benjamin Merle, CPO of Enpal, Emma Nehrenheim, President Materials at Northvolt, looked at energy leadership in Europe. How do we see the energy system 20 years from now? How do we build it in the greenest way possible? Despite the challenges, Northvolt is more committed than ever to its vision: To accelerate the transition to a decarbonized future. Photo © Bits & Pretzels

Here’s some footage of Northvolt Ett, Europe’s largest homegrown battery gigafactory in Skellefteå, Sweden, filmed this summer. Powered by 100% fossil-free energy, Northvolt Ett is at the forefront of large-scale battery manufacturing in Europe.

For the good cause: Ready, set, mud! Northvolt Drei joined the Wattolümpiade Brunsbüttel– a very special edition of the Olympics, where sport meets mud and the Wadden Sea becomes the field of a wild competition. As team Gigawatt, we dived headfirst into the mud and splashed, slipped and slid our way through the soccer tournament. With teamwork and grit, we came fourth place – not bad for first-time Watthletes. We thank the team of the Wattolümpiade Brunsbüttel for this true local experience! For twenty years, they have been organizing this fun charity event to raise funds for the fight against cancer.

Some of our 3,000 future employees will be part of a very special unit: Northvolt’s own fire brigade! We have already begun recruiting the first firefighter trainees to ensure we have the team in place in time for the start of production. This week, the first batch of applicants underwent a fitness test as part of the selection process for the 19-month long training. The candidates completed several tough gym exercises, accomplished a swimming challenge and climbed a 30-meter turntable ladder. Our special thanks goes out to the local sports club PostSV Heide, the Dithmarscher Wasserwelt, and the fire brigade of Heide for supporting the test. We look forward to building our team of junior and experienced firefighters!

From weaving crafts to battery technology! It's fascinating to see that the Northvolt construction site was once part of a densely populated coastal strip where people already engaged in economic activities centuries ago. Recently, after 16 months of intensive work by multiple archaeological teams, the excavation work on our site came to an end. The project is unique for Schleswig-Holstein and covers an area of nine hectares. More than 16,000 remarkably well-preserved finds – some of them dating back 4,600 years – were documented, including loom weights and 197 warehouses. Photos 2-4 © ALSH

At Northvolt Drei, we experience many, many debuts. Last week, our VP Operations Daniel Elschner made his debut in the local media and gave an outlook on the challenge of leading future operations. He joined the German team in early July, after spending a year at Northvolt’s first gigafactory in Skellefteå, Sweden. With over 12 years at ZF and a wealth of international experience, including six years in China and the recent stint in Skellefteå, he brings extensive knowledge of production processes. Welcome, Daniel! Let’s build a greener future together!