CATL continues to ramp up battery production in Germany

Chinese market leader CATL has already opened its first battery factory in Europe in 2023. The company is currently working on further scaling up production in Arnstadt, Germany - and is looking for more staff to do so.

The ground-breaking ceremony on the former Solarworld site near Erfurt took place in October 2019. Around three years later, in December 2022, CATL produced the first battery cells at the Arnstadt plant. The factory has officially been in operation since 2023, and the cells produced there are delivered to customers in Germany and Europe. These include the VW Group for the first models on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) – i.e. the Porsche Macan and Audi Q6 e-tron, which have battery cells from the Thuringian plant in their underbody.

CATL has now provided the German news agency DPA with an interim update. “The plant is currently working at a high capacity to fulfil customer requirements,” said a company spokesperson in response to a DPA enquiry. The ramp-up of the plant also depends on further market developments.

According to the company, around 1,700 people are employed at the plant, which is officially operated by Contemporary Amperex Technology Thuringia GmbH. These include “specialists from China who are involved in the installation of technology and the ramp-up of the plant,” according to DPA. However, they will gradually return to their home country. CATL is thus looking for further specialists, focussing on employees from the region.

However, the aim is not only to find specialists; CATL also trains people in Arnstadt. According to the spokesperson, around 30 people are currently undergoing vocational training, with “up to 30 more” trainees to be added this year. CATL trains machine and plant operators for production, mechatronics engineers, industrial mechanics for maintenance, and specialists for warehouse logistics.

CATL’s careers portal currently advertises 105 positions for the Arnstadt plant – from shift supervisor and product engineering to tax specialist and heating, ventilation and air conditioning technician.

CATL is also looking for more specialists in Hungary: the recruitment wave for the second European factory in Debrecen is currently visible on the careers portal; the plant there is scheduled to go into operation in the second half of 2025. There are currently 80 jobs advertised.

faz.net, catl-career.com