Tesvolt invests €60m in battery storage gigafactory

The planned construction will include a highly automated production building for battery storage systems as well as a new research and development centre. The aim is for the carbon-neutral facility to ultimately reach a production capacity of up to four gigawatt hours per year. Construction work begins in spring 2023 and is expected to be completed in 2024.

Tesvolt is investing around €60 million in the construction of the two new buildings and the renovation of existing facilities. The company is expecting to be eligible for subsidies of up to €12 million through the Investitionsbank Sachsen-Anhalt. In the long term, more than 400 jobs are expected to be created, primarily in the areas of research and development, logistics, and project planning. With the planned annual production capacity of four gigawatt hours, the site will be one of the largest facilities for commercial stationary battery storage systems in Europe.

Daniel Hannemann, Tesvolt CEO and Co-founder: “In the future, our new gigafactory is set to produce up to 80,000 storage systems per year – that equates to a tenfold increase on today’s production capacity. With this milestone we are contributing to an increase in international independence for the European energy transition. The new gigafactory will help us strengthen our home region, and Germany, as a leading location for the energy transition. At the same time, we are reinforcing our mission to bring affordable, clean energy to every corner of the world.”

Dr Reiner Haseloff, Prime Minister of Saxony-Anhalt: “With this highly ambitious investment project, Tesvolt will set a landmark in Saxony-Anhalt that cannot be overlooked by the German and international markets. The company is expanding and consolidating the activities that it began in Lutherstadt Wittenberg in 2014. It is pleasing that, in addition to the expansion of its production capacity, investments are also being made in the company's own research and development. This is an important step towards solid and regional value creation from an idea to the finished product. This way, Tesvolt is contributing to the success of a sustainable energy transition.”

In the new factory, battery storage systems will be manufactured over two floors measuring almost 6,000 m² in total. A fully automated high-bay racking system will quadruple the storage capacity, while a new production line using robots ensures highly efficient, flexible and scalable production of battery modules. Small wind turbines on the building and a photovoltaic installation will ensure that production remains entirely carbon-neutral. The heat supply to the building is provided through air source heat pumps and heat recovery, and construction meets the energy efficiency standard KfW 50. Excess electricity is collected and stored in the factory’s own Tesvolt battery storage systems.

The new research and development building is to be the starting point for future innovative hardware and software from Tesvolt. In addition, a visitor centre with showroom, a training area for installers and two lecture halls with video studio are planned on three floors. The development of the site is consistently geared towards the requirements of “new work” and an agile organisation. Employees will benefit from places to meet and gather, including a fitness studio, cafeteria and library as well as relaxation and massage rooms. A 64-metre glass footbridge will connect the R&D building with the factory, enabling close communication between teams.