Germany: Voltfang inaugurates battery storage factory in Aachen

Although production has technically been running since April, startup Voltfang has now officially opened its new factory in Aachen, Germany. The facility builds stationary battery storage systems from used EV batteries and surplus cells from EV production.

Only a few weeks ago, Voltfang secured €15 million from investors to expand production. The young company has now ceremonially opened its battery storage plant in the former halls of insolvent EV manufacturer Next.e.GO under the name “Voltfang Future Fab”. The facility is expected to produce 250 MWh per year by the end of 2026 and 1 GWh per year by the end of 2030.

North Rhine-Westphalia Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) attended the ceremony and said: “Voltfang demonstrates how sustainable innovations can create real impact and contribute to the competitiveness of our industry. With the opening of Europe’s largest second-life battery factory, Voltfang sets a milestone for a future-ready energy system.”

The term “Second Life” refers to the concept of reusing retired EV batteries, giving them a second life in stationary storage systems. These can, for example, store electricity from photovoltaic systems or provide stable power to EV charging stations with weak grid connections, storing energy when no car is charging and releasing it when the next vehicle arrives. This increases the available charging capacity.

Voltfang also works with “New Life” batteries – cells sourced from the mobility sector that were never used due to overproduction or insufficient demand for the EV transition – for example in a storage system at Stuttgart Airport.

linkedin.com, euwid-recycling.de, wdr.de (video; all in German)

This article was first published by Florian Treiß for electrive’s German edition.