CATL y Stellantis inician la construcción de una planta de baterías en España
Almost a year ago, CATL and Stellantis anunció their landmark project, committing to a total investment of 4.1 billion euros. The facility, dedicated to producing LFP battery cells and modules, is under construction in Figueruelas, near Zaragoza. According to a Reuters report, construction has now officially begun. The report notes: “Around 2,000 Chinese workers will help construct the site, with 3,000 Spanish staff to be hired and trained later.” This aligns with the project’s goal of creating 3,000 direct jobs. The regional government of Aragon has confirmed it is currently coordinating work permits for incoming workers while actively seeking to attract additional segments of the battery supply chain to the region.
“We don’t know this technology, these components – we’ve never made them before,” David Romeral, General Director of CAAR Aragon, a network of automotive companies in the region, told Reuters. “They’re years ahead of us. All we can do is watch and learn.” José Juan Arceiz, General Secretary of the UGT union in Aragon, echoed this sentiment: “They are the ones who know how to make a gigafactory.” The unions are now awaiting CATL’s qualification criteria to develop tailored training programmes in partnership with the local university.
Reports indicate that some Chinese technicians and managers have already arrived in Figueruelas. This marks a shift in CATL’s approach, as the company previously relied on local hires for construction at its Debrecen plant in Hungary. However, staffing shortages there led to delays, pushing back the start of production from late 2025 to 2026.
The construction and operation of the plant are managed through a 50:50 joint venture between Stellantis and CATL. The site is located adjacent to Stellantis’s existing vehicle manufacturing plant in Zaragoza. With a total investment of 4.1 billion euros, the project has secured over 300 million euros in EU funding.
Details regarding the start of production remain ambiguous. While construction is expected to conclude by March 2028, with an annual capacity of 50 GWh, earlier statements from Stellantis and CATL suggested production would commence at the “existing Zaragoza vehicle plant” by the end of 2026. Jorge Azcón, President of the Autonomous Community of Aragon, mentioned this timeline in La Tribuna de Automoción in late 2024. Although the cell factory is being built on an 80-hectare site adjacent to the Stellantis plant, Azcón did not clarify why production would begin at the car factory. That detail also remains unresolved in the latest Reuters informe.
That CATL and Stellantis would collaborate on battery production was widely anticipated. Rumours that Stellantis was scouting locations for a European battery cell factory outside its Automotive Cells Company (ACC) joint venture surfaced nearly two years ago. Spain emerged as the most likely candidate, given Stellantis’s three vehicle plants in Madrid, Vigo, and Zaragoza. Early Spanish media reports also named CATL as a probable partner. In late November 2023, Stellantis confirmado oficialmente its partnership with CATL for LFP batteries in Europe.
To contextualise this initiative, it’s important to note the challenges faced by ACC. The battery joint venture between Stellantis, Total, and Mercedes-Benz had planned three plants in Douvrin, Kaiserslautern, and Termoli. However, the latter two projects are currently on hold. Official statements cite a pause to transition from nickel-based cell chemistry to more cost-effective battery technologies during the early construction phase, as announced in early summer 2024. By mid-month, reports suggested that the ACC battery plant in Termoli, Italy, is likely facing permanent closure.
Through its partnership with CATL, Stellantis has swiftly secured a supply of LFP batteries. The future of the ACC site in Germany remains uncertain. Stellantis is adopting a “dual-chemistry approach,” retaining NMC batteries alongside LFP batteries. The key question remains: what will the final mix entail, and consequently, how many NMC cell plants will ultimately be required?
Spain stands to gain significantly from this development. A dedicated battery plant producing cost-effective LFP cells and modules offers a clear competitive edge for Stellantis’s three Spanish plants in Zaragoza, Vigo, and Madrid—particularly as the company has confirmado plans to manufacture electric small cars based on the upcoming STLA Small platform in Spain. Officially, Stellantis states that the LFP batteries will power “high-quality, durable, and affordable battery-electric cars, crossovers, and SUVs in the B and C segments,” targeting “medium-range” capabilities. According to Jorge Azcón, these batteries will supply not only Spanish plants but also foreign vehicle manufacturing sites.
CATL, already operating two plants in Germany and Hungary, is further expanding its European footprint with the Zaragoza facility.
Este artículo fue publicado por primera vez por Cora Werwitzke para la edición alemana de electrive.
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