It is one of the largest battery factories in Europe: In the future, batteries for electric cars will be built in northern France. Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz and TotalEnergies are involved. The location should make you more independent from Asia.
Many thousands of jobs have been lost in the French department of Pas-de-Calais – in the steel, pharmaceutical and paper industries. The newly opened factory for e-car batteries is now giving hope again in the economically weak region.
“Electric battery production has a brighter future than the paper industry,” says Grégory Lecoq rather soberly. He used to be a machine operator in a printing shop, now he has got one of the first jobs in the new battery plant. In four years, 2,000 people are expected to work in the factory.
“Great day for France and Europe”
The French Economics Minister, Bruno Le Maire, got really emotional at the opening. This is a great day for industry in France and Europe, he said in his speech: “For the first time since Airbus, France and Europe are creating a new branch of industry.”
As was the case with the development of the European aerospace group, billions in subsidies are now flowing into e-mobility. The “Gigafactory” in Billy-Berclau is the first of several battery factories of the joint venture ACC – the car companies Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz and the French group TotalEnergies. ACC plans to build two more battery factories in Kaiserslautern and Termoli, Italy.
reduce dependence on China
This is an important project for the European car industry, says Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing. Manufacturers are switching towards electromobility. Batteries and other important components are mostly produced elsewhere – especially in China. Europe urgently needs to reduce this dependency, said the FDP politician at the opening – in fluent French: “And that’s exactly what we’re doing today with the opening of this factory.”
It’s high time, too, said economist Flavien Neuvy on the news channel France Info. The construction of battery factories is important because only electric cars will be allowed to be sold in Europe from 2035. And that’s not far off: “China has a clear lead in production, the USA has woken up and wants to catch up. France and Europe have to start now too. These are interesting and symbolic projects.”
Because the EU has relaxed the competition rules for subsidies, Europe can finally counter it, said Le Maire at the opening.
France plans industrial comeback
Three more battery factories are planned in France alone – 10,000 people are expected to find work there. The opening of the factory in the structurally weak north of France is also important for the French project of so-called reindustrialization, which President Emmanuel Macron in particular wants to promote.
In the coming years, much more government investment will have to be made in the ecological conversion of industry, says his economy minister: “That means we have to continue the fight for reindustrialization at French and European level.”
In the past decades, French industry had continued to shrink; it currently accounts for only around 17 percent of economic output.