Image: NorthvoltFor years, the planned battery cell factory in Heide in the north of the country has been seen as one of the greatest hopes for establishing a European supply and value chain for electric vehicle batteries. After the insolvency of Swedish battery cell manufacturer Northvolt, its plans to build a factory in Heide with 3,000 jobs appeared to be in jeopardy. However, the project has now been revived following its takeover by US battery manufacturer Lyten. However, the latter is planning a significantly smaller operation, with just 1,000 jobs.After construction stalled due to Northvolt’s bankruptcy—leaving only the site prepared—progress has resumed. Following a visit by Lyten’s CEO Dan Cook to the Heide and Kiel regions in March, where he met with local political representatives and the state government to discuss Lyten’s plans for continuing the project, a crucial approval has now been granted. The Schleswig-Holstein State Office for the Environment (LfU) has issued the Northvolt Drei project company the first partial approval under the Federal Immission Control Act (BImSchG) for the construction of a battery factory in Norderwöhrden and Lohe-Rickelshof near Heide.This approval is a key prerequisite for beginning construction of the actual factory. With the first partial approval under BImSchG for the requested production buildings, Northvolt Drei has gained planning certainty, the company stated. At the same time, the LfU has confirmed the overall project’s eligibility for approval with this permit. Should any changes arise during the further course of the project, the partial approval can be adjusted, the Northvolt Drei project company added.There is also positive news regarding the alleged waste of 600 million euros in taxpayer funds, which were transferred to the Northvolt Drei project company in the form of a KfW convertible bond before Northvolt’s insolvency. As part of the restructuring process, Northvolt Drei has now repaid 153 million euros from this bond, which had not yet been used for the project. The sum will be split equally between the state of Schleswig-Holstein and the federal government, which had provided guarantees for the bond.The company plans to repay a second tranche in the summer. According to information from the news agency dpa, this tranche is expected to amount to 69 million euros. “For the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and the state of Schleswig-Holstein, securing and recovering unused taxpayer funds has been a top priority from the outset. This ensures that part of the taxpayer money spent is safeguarded,” said a spokesperson for the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs.According to the report, Northvolt is said to have spent 330 million euros of the 600 million euros on construction costs, as well as purchases of land and equipment. The remaining nearly 50 million euros are reportedly held in a blocked account to prevent insolvency of Northvolt’s German subsidiary.Source: via email, handelsblatt.com (both in German)
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