Sweden strengthens its position in the green transition with Chinese green tech company PTL's investment of over SEK 13 billion in a cutting-edge anode material factory at Torsboda Industrial Park. The facility is Europe’s largest of its kind and will play a vital role in modern battery manufacturing, creating nearly 2,000 new jobs in the region.
Photographer: ACE
The extensive establishment means that northern Sweden takes another firm grip on the value chain in modern battery manufacturing with a high-tech anode factory, and thus an important contribution to a continued European green transition.
"We are very proud to be able to enter into a long-term collaboration with Torsboda Industrial Park. It is an important step for PTL's establishment plans in Europe. We look forward to running the world's most modern and sustainable anode factory and at the same time contributing positively to the local business community and society," says William Chen, CEO at PTL.
The facility in Torsboda will be Europe's largest for the production of anode material. It is PTL's first anode factory establishment outside of Asia, but with four major facilities in China operated through subsidiary Zichen, the listed company is one of the world's largest manufacturers of anode materials.
The Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt will be one of the main customers for the factory in Torsboda.
"As part of our strategy to create the world's greenest battery, we're inviting subcontractors to produce materials and components on fossil-free electricity grids and in line with Europe's high environmental standards. PTL's anode materials are globally recognized for their quality. This move not only helps us lower our batteries' carbon footprint, but also paves the way for other battery industry players to establish themselves in the Nordics." says Alexander Streif, Vice President Supply Chain Management at Northvolt.
The plant in Torsboda will have a capacity of 50,000 tons of anode material in a first phase and then double the capacity with another 50,000 tons in the next step to be able to supply anodes corresponding to a battery production of 100 GWh. Even before construction starts, many jobs are created and PTL estimates that 1,000 people are needed in the first phase and another 900 in phase two. When the facility is completed in 2025/2026, it is expected to employ around 1,900 people, in production and in the integrated Research & Development operations. Facts about the project:
PTL is a privately owned Chinese and world-leading anode manufacturing company listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange.
The plant in Torsboda outside Sundsvall is planned to be ready in 2025/2026 to be able to produce 50,000 tons of anode material in the first phase and then double the capacity in phase two. This corresponds to a battery production of 100 GWh.
The investment is estimated at around SEK 13 billion for the 60-hectare facility, which will be supplied 100 percent by fossil-free electricity and have the world's lowest CO2 footprint for anode manufacturing.
100 percent of the raw material in manufacturing comes from countries within the EU.