Two years ago, Renault Group acquired a 20% stake in Verkor, a French start-up specializing in the production of battery cells. The group’s goal is to develop high-performance, low-emission traction batteries and to build a battery gigafactory in the Haut-de-France region, which will be put into operation in 2025.
Future solutions are tested and developed in the research and development laboratory of the Verkor Innovation Center (VIC). It houses a technologically innovative pilot production line, which in a sense is a scaled-down factory for battery cells, and will provide the company with the data it needs to develop the technological processes and production tools for the future Dunkirk giant plant. VIC will also be a training center where employees can get used to their future work environment and develop the necessary skills in it.
A team of around fifty engineers from the Renault Group and Verkor reached the first milestone of their research work in February this year – completing the first stage of the development of a high-performance traction battery, which resulted in it meeting the required quality, cost and delivery time parameters. The first car to be fitted with the new battery will be the C-segment Alpine GT crossover.
Renault and Verkor currently have a long-term cooperation agreement covering three quarters of the future plant’s production capacity. A site has already been chosen for the future gigafactory in the Aude-France region, as well as a building permit and approval of environmental permits. The foundation stone of the factory will be laid by the end of this year!
High performance, low emission traction batteries
The production of batteries requires a lot of energy, so it is important that it is obtained from low-emission resources. France, where energy is mainly obtained from nuclear power plants and from renewable energy sources, provides some advantages in this respect.
The Renault Group and Verkor project aims to use the steam distribution network in the port of Dunkirk to recover and make good use of the heat produced by the industrial facilities in the area. Steam from a nearby steel foundry, aluminum plant, food processing plant and even a chip factory will be able to be used in a wide variety of production processes, particularly in electrode drying ovens. This system is expected to provide about half of the required energy and contribute to the decarbonisation of the plant. In addition to the VIC, innovative technological solutions are developed in the innovation center to maximize the energy efficiency of the gigafactory and reduce the amount of waste.
Optimization of the entire battery value chain is also underway. At the beginning of the chain, the emphasis is on low-carbon raw materials, and at the end – on the recycling of used batteries. In addition, the active substance used in the electrodes will be produced in France near the gigafactory, which will also significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the supply chain.
In order to measure the overall carbon footprint and ensure full traceability of the batteries produced in this way, a partnership agreement has been concluded with Optel and Bureau Veritas. According to the new EU regulations that will come into force soon, the carbon footprint of production will also be determined for each battery separately.
Development of local industry and impact on employment
The partnership between Renault Group and Verkor will actively promote the dynamism of the industry in France and have a positive impact on local employment. The gigafactory, which will be completed next year, will create around 1,200 direct jobs and help support 3,000 indirect jobs in the Dunkirk region. After the installation of the assembly equipment, the final construction and handover of the plant will begin, so that it will be fully ready before the start of series production of the 100% electric Alpine C-Crossover GT in 2025.
At the unveiling of the VIC, Philippe Chain, Verkor co-founder and director of customer service, and Philippe Brunet, director of mechanical engineering and projects, emphasized: “This is an important moment in the two-year collaboration between Renault Group, Ampere and Verkor. Our collaboration the goal is to achieve carbon neutrality in the medium term and industrial development in France. At the same time, we also want to gain full control over the entire value chain of electric cars. This is in line with our desire to supply customers with high-tech batteries with high added value.”
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2023-08-22 10:48:20
#High #performance #France #traction #batteries #Alpine #cars
