Chinese battery manufacturer SVOLT will not set up a manufacturing site in the German state of Brandenburg The company says it has reassessed its location strategy - and cannot resist taking a jab at German politicians The company’s press release states: “In addition to an already low level of planning security at various levels – from the threat of international punitive tariffs to market distortions due to protracted and unevenly distributed subsidies,” a “significant customer project has also been cancelled.” In addition ‘the renewed discussions about the end of the combustion engine in the EU are counterproductive to the planned localisation efforts.” “The automotive market is currently struggling with considerable fluctuations and challenges all over the world mainly driven by the transformation to electric mobility,” says Kai-Uwe Wollenhaupt President SVOLT Europe & Senior Vice President of SVOLT Energy Technology Company Ltd “It has led to some drastic strategy adjustments for some car manufacturers.” SVOLT announced in September 2022 that it would set up another cell production facility for the European market – with a capacity of 16 GWh The company had taken over a plant in Lauchhammer where Vestas previously produced blades for wind turbines Production was to start at the beginning of 2025 The press release does not mention how much the company invested in the site before cancelling its plans it has already paid for conversion work on the existing buildings and the installation of the battery production systems However, it also means SVOLT won’t produce cells in Europe for quite some time. It does confirm that it will set up a manufacturing facility in Überherrn SVOLT’s first European factory was initially supposed to be up and running by the end of 2023 But construction has been repeatedly delayed for various reasons there is no planning certainty and thus no progress “The Überherrn municipal council’s resolution is still awaiting approval from the responsible ministry planning permission has not yet been granted lawsuits against the construction project have already been announced it is currently impossible to predict when we will have final legal certainty legal certainty is an essential prerequisite and the basis for planning how to proceed the next step is the final economic feasibility study SVOLT Europe estimates that this process will still take some time Any more precise information on the timeline would be purely speculative as many things are outside the responsibility and sphere of influence of SVOLT Europe,’ the company explains – and emphasises that it currently has no “immediate obligations” at the site as this is still the responsibility of Struktur Holding Saar (SHS) It will, therefore, be several years before the company has its own cell production, but SVOLT intends to assemble battery modules and packs from imported cells in Europe soon. That will take place in Heusweiler about 30 minutes northeast of the planned production site in Überherrn “We would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere thanks for the support cooperation and trust placed in us at both local and state level in Brandenburg and Saarland as well as with our partners,” says Wollenhaupt We will utilise all opportunities available to us to implement positive impulses for the economy and the environment together with our customers and partners.” In addition to the location strategy, SVOLT also reassessed its sales model. The company wants to concentrate on the sale of customised battery systems for EVs (SVOLT supplies the LFP batteries for the Citroen e-C3 and its sister models for example) and “place an additional focus on business areas in which standardised batteries and their systems can be used which are easier to scale and quicker to implement.” That includes traction batteries for commercial vehicles stationary energy storage systems and their battery cells and applications in the non-automotive sector “We continue to see ourselves as an innovation partner to the automotive industry the current market situation suggests diversification to secure our economic future in the medium term,” says Wollenhaupt “This is a decisive step towards becoming more resilient to market fluctuations and making a significant contribution to the global energy transition Adapting our sales orientation is therefore an investment in the future.” I agree with the Privacy policy electrive has been following the development of electric mobility with journalistic passion and expertise since 2013 we offer comprehensive coverage of the highest quality — as a central platform for the rapid development of this technology for the first time in the world, coke which is a hard, porous carbon material made from coal, was suitably produced for smelting from lignite in this 122-hectare plant in germany. this technologically demanding procedure became the foundation of GDR’s heavy industry 15,000 workers were employed at this coking plant large amounts of phenolrich waste water was also created and purified in the so-called tower dripper waste water purification facilities with the help of  bacteria inside the bio-towers 24 of these decommissioned towers are next to the road in lauchhammerimage © jürgen hohmuth the renovations and conversions took about two years based on a plan by the cottbus firms jähne & göpfert and zimmermann & partner one of the towers was also equipped with two glazed building turrets to give visitors a special view of the towers and the former coking plant site the coking plant’s old geometrical grid structure has been recreated in concrete crosses to show visitors how the bio-towers were once part of a much larger facility the structures are used to educate people about the area’s industrial history through guided tours exhibitions and recently a glass-sided viewing box has been attached to the top of some of the columns to offer an elevated view of the complex. in 2009 the renovated towers were awarded both the brandenburgischer ingenieurspreis and the region’s own prize for listed structures they are also on the ‘ENERGIE heritage route of lusatian industrial culture’ which is a part of the ‘european route of industrial heritage’ (ERIH) tourism project the bio-towers industrial monument finally opened for visitors in 2008 the open-cast mine ceased production in 1999 AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style Home » Battery News the power battery maker that spun off from Great Wall Motor will build a battery cell plant for the European market in Lauchhammer the company announced on its official WeChat account on September 9 The plant will be Svolt Energy's first battery cell plant for overseas markets and its second overseas plant It previously owned a battery pack plant in Heusweiler The facility previously served as a wind turbine manufacturing facility for wind power giant Vestas and Svolt Energy will upgrade it with plans already in the works Svolt Energy's investment will not only give the Vestas plant a new life but will also contribute to the structural optimization of the electric vehicle industry in the Brandenburg region said Brandenburg state premier Dietmar Woidke has been forming a cluster for innovative electric vehicle development in recent years which is an important reason why Svolt Energy is locating its second project abroad in the region Many companies in Svolt Energy's supply chain and battery lifecycle are located in the region -- such as globally known materials giant BASF which entered into a partnership with it in late 2021 to work together on battery materials and their recycling Svolt Energy plans to produce the cells at its Lauchhammer-based facility and process them into packs at its plant in Heusweiler Lauchhammer's location advantage helps Svolt Energy serve current customers' projects in a timely manner and meet its expansion capacity goals in Europe more quickly Svolt Energy became independent from Great Wall Motor's power battery division in February 2018 to work on next-generation battery materials the company announced that its first cobalt-free battery rolled off the production line in mass production and was the first such product in the world to come out of the lab and into mass production Svolt Energy announced that its all-solid-state battery lab had developed China's first 20Ah-class sulfide all-solid-state prototype cells with an energy density of 350-400 Wh/kg Once the cells are mass-produced, they could enable electric vehicles to achieve a range of more than 1,000 kilometers Svolt Energy is one of China's largest power cell manufacturers, ranking sixth in August with a 2.49 percent market share in the country according to data released earlier this month by the China Automotive Battery Innovation Alliance Svolt Energy is also one of the world's largest power battery makers, with a 1.3 percent share in January-July News release from Vestas Wind Systems A/S Aarhus 20 September 2021 To accelerate the deployment of renewable energy and improve wind energy’s competitiveness Vestas continues to develop and optimise the products and solutions we offer our customers as well as expand partnerships with specialised partners in our supply chain The ongoing integration of our onshore and offshore business is a key part of this development which we need to address to ensure we have an efficient operating model and manufacturing footprint Vestas is today announcing steps to adjust our manufacturing footprint in Germany these changes entail that Vestas intends to cease production at its factories in Lauchhammer Vestas sustains a strong footprint and continues to supply onshore and offshore wind turbine components to our customers from 12 sites across Europe combining facilities owned by Vestas and its supply chain partners Vestas’ Service business plays a vital role in our European footprint which includes more than 19 GW under service in Germany rapid introduction of new products and recent integration of our onshore and offshore business require us to further mature and evolve our supply chain network and manufacturing footprint While Vestas will sustain a strong footprint in Europe across manufacturing and service activities it’s always hard to make decisions that negatively affect our good I would like to emphasise that we are deeply committed to explore opportunities to relocate our colleagues who unfortunately will be impacted by the cease of production at our factories in Lauchhammer said Executive Vice President and COO Tommy Rahbek Nielsen Germany has since it scaled down activities two years ago maintained manufacturing of a limited number of blades for the V117 and V136 turbines and currently employs approximately 460 people Vestas expects to meet future customer needs for its V117 and V136 turbines with supply from its other blade factories across the world The expectation is to finalise production in Lauchhammer by the end of 2021 while Vestas will explore opportunities to relocate employees currently working in Lauchhammer to other Vestas sites in Germany across manufacturing and service With more than 15 GW of installed turbines 11 GW under service and more than 2,500 employees as of August 2021 Vestas sustains its commitment to the German market and our established supply chain Spain employs approximately 115 people who manufacture generators for the 2 MW onshore platform as well as control panels for the V164 offshore turbine for markets outside of Spain  Due to both the decrease in demand for the 2 MW platform and the need to optimise offshore manufacturing it is no longer sustainable to continue activities in Viveiro Vestas expects to finalise production in Viveiro end of 2021 and will offer opportunities to relocate employees currently working in Viveiro to other Vestas sites in Spain Vestas will work hand in hand with both national and regional governments as well as with the social stakeholders with more than 4.8 GW of installed turbines 6 GW under service and more than 2,200 employees as of August 2021 including the blade factory in Daimiel service operations and the headquarter for Vestas’ Mediterranean region Denmark employs approximately 75 people who manufacture power conversion modules for the V164 and V174 offshore turbines As demand for these modules will  gradually shift to markets primarily outside of Europe and be delivered via more localised manufacturing facilities Vestas expects to conclude production of power conversion modules in Esbjerg during the first half of 2022 Vestas will explore opportunities to relocate employees currently working at the factory in Esbjerg to other Vestas sites in Denmark and Denmark remains a core part of Vestas’ global footprint with more than 5,900 employees as of August 2021 We invite you to learn more about Vestas by visiting our website at www.vestas.com and following us on our social media channels: SVOLT has confirmed building another cell factory for the European battery industry in Germany is a former wind turbine plant owned by Vestas This is to make up for the delays SVOLT is now facing in Saarland. The Chinese company has been planning to produce battery cells in central Europe for some time and had confirmed factories in the German state of Saarland in November 2020 SVOLT aims to make cells near the town of Überherrn the new plans in Brandenburg come on the back of said delays at the Saarland sites SVOLT is planning to start production in Brandenburg in early 2025 VP of Sales & Marketing of SVOLT Europe The company targets an initial capacity of 16 GWh That sounds like construction will quick (and rushed) The former Vestas site is a so-called brownfield project from the previous owner at the end of August and will now “repurpose the majority of the existing halls” rebuilding measures and extension works will also be necessary and realised in the near future The company adds that it was developing a master plan including a detailed schedule for all modernisation and building measures the construction of the Saarland sites will take much longer than planned According to the Saarbrücker Zeitung paper Kramskoy does not expect SVOLT to produce battery cells in Überherrn before 2027 – that is four years later than initially announced Even though Heusweiler builds on an existing building like Brandenburg there would also be delays at this second Saarland site for the assembly of modules and packs Production was supposed to start in the middle of this year with parts from other SVOLT plants Now the company says it will only begin assembly by February 2024 Hantsch-Kramskoj did not detail the reasons for the delay but pointed to the project being “very complex” The Saarland sites would get the time they require Still, SVOLT has to deliver another driver for selecting the Lauchhammer site reasonably quickly. So far, PSA is confirmed as a customer and signed an option for 7 GWh as reported President of SVOLT Europe & VP of SVOLT Energy Technology said he was happy that they were able to conclude the conversations with Vestas timely and take over the site also went on to “explicitly thank all those involved for their dedicated efforts to bring a successor company to the former Vestas site as swiftly as possible.” The site offers 255,000 square metres of space and SVOLT has the right of first refusal on an adjacent free area of another 71,000 sqm Hantsch-Kramskoj referred to the project as a “gigafactory” when speaking to the local press the new factory won’t compare to the Tesla plant in Grünheide As for synergies between the plants in Brandenburg and Saarland SVOLT expects to utilise battery cells produced in Lauchhammer at the future assembly site in Heusweiler At least until the Saarland cell factory comes online SVOLT aims to produce between 22 and 32 Gwh That is batteries for about 300,000 to 500,000 e-vehicles per year SVOLT has not disclosed which cells may be made in Brandenburg (and Saarland) the company has pushed cobalt-free battery cells since July 2019 These have undergone testing for at least two years now and the result promises a range of over 1,000 kilometres for electric cars in future svolt-eu.com, saarbruecker-zeitung.de (delay Saarland Posted by | Mar 22 CLOSE TO HOME: MURDER IN THE COALFIELD is a new series on Netflix title: Lauchhammer – Tod in der Lausitz) The mini-series originally aired in Germany on ARD in September of 2022 every episode does end with some kind of reveal or cliffhanger that will make you want to continue If you’re usually into these crime-mystery series then this is definitely worth checking out and a setting that is highly relevant and current Continue reading our Close to Home: Murder in the Coalfield review below Find the mini-series on Netflix from March 22 The international title of Close to Home: Murder in the Coalfield manages to almost describe the core plot A body is found near a coal mining plant (and also near a new housing development area) and it’s a small town so it feels very close to home for everyone The story begins with the body of a 17-year-old girl being found we’re introduced to life in this fairly small coal mining town A town that has been largely abandoned and where drug use (as well as production and sales) is rampant The movie Free Country – though set in two different time periods, there’s a similar vibe > the coal industry has attracted a group of climate change activists there are plenty of potential criminals in the small town of Lauchhammer but the big question is; Who would kill a 17-year-old girl who already struggled with plenty at home As with any good crime thriller that revolves around a mystery (and isn’t that the case for the vast majority?!) you’ll be introduced to many interesting characters There are those related to the murder victim – either family or foe – and those who are somehow involved with the murder I can say that the body found at the very beginning of Close to Home: Murder in the Coalfield isn’t the only murder victim More bodies will be found during these six episodes The “new” cop (who is quite experienced and very efficient) is Annalena Gottknecht She’s interesting from the very beginning due to her actions It’s obvious that there’s more to her than meets the eye Other key characters are portrayed by actors you may recognize from other Netflix series. These include Marc Hosemann from Perfume and Ella Lee from Dark The first plays a police officer who once dated the mother of the first murder victim the latter is the daughter of Detective Maik Briegand The German series Close to Home: Murder in the Coalfield was written by Frauke Hunfeld and Silke Zertz. All six episodes are directed by Till Franzen (The Valley) which ensures a very consistent style of storytelling Fans of the brilliant German mega-hit series DARK will no doubt be reminded of just this when the series opens This is due to the very simple fact that a male voice is setting the tone as a form of narrator This voice – and particularly the style and vibe – immediately brought me back to the days of watching Dark I’ve noticed that some people didn’t like the use of flashbacks I thought it worked very well and the use of them was quite obvious There’s that fuzzy framing on all flashbacks as if someone is thinking back on those moments rather than us seeing something in the present the past continues to haunt many characters Close to Home: Murder in the Coalfield is on Netflix from March 22 Director: Till FranzenWriters: Frauke Hunfeld When a grisly murder brings Detective Maik Briegand back to his small hometown I write reviews and recaps on Heaven of Horror it does happen that I find myself screaming I have a huge soft spot for a good horror-comedy and I absolutely HATE when animals are harmed in movies so I will immediately think less of any movie where animals are harmed for entertainment (even if the animals are just really good actors) horror doesn't use this nearly as much as comedy And people assume horror lovers are the messed up ones