Taiwan-based EV battery maker is considering the UK as the site of its first overseas gigafactory.
ProLogium is seeking to expand production of next-generation solid-state batteries and is looking at potential sites in the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland.
The factory is expected to be built with a three-phase construction and ultimately an annual capacity target of 120GWh.
Investment will total £6.9bn over the next decade and ProLogium has appointed Accuracy, an independent consulting firm, to advise on the location of the factory.
ProLogium believes solid-state batteries are among the most promising and disruptive battery technologies, offering advantages in terms of safety, energy density, fast-charging capability, recyclability, weight optimisation and costs.
The battery maker has already started testing and certification processes with global car OEMs, delivering about 8,000 EV battery cells (50-60Ah).
ProLogium’s first production line for consumer applications began operating in 2013, and its EV battery pilot line began production in October 2017.
Zaheer Minhas, partner at Accuracy, said, “It is no exaggeration to say that ProLogium’s European production site will be transformative for the chosen region. Competition to secure the site is already fierce.
“That means the region ProLogium chooses will benefit from the creation of high-quality, environmentally friendly jobs for many years to come.”
Gilles Normand, International Development EVP at ProLogium, added, “During my front-line visit to all potential sites, I discovered very talented people and highly motivated ones.
“I was pleased to see the enthusiasm and the understanding about our technology and future industrialisation plans.”
