Energy Absolute outlines plans for battery factory in Asia
The plans by the Thai energy provider for the construction of a lithium-ion battery factory are slowly taking a more definitive shape: The project will begin this year and take place with a joint venture partner in two phases.
The first phase is the opening of a battery factory with 1 GWh, which is planned to open between July and September 2019. The second phase will then see the facility have it’s capacities upgraded to a whopping 50 GWh. To compare: Panasonic just announced plans to increase their battery cell production at the Tesla Gigafactory 1 to 35 GWh.
So far the location for the factory has not been decided yet, however. Thailand is looking most likely as the choice, but the decision will not officially fall until October. Construction will then begin before end of the year. Energy Absolute is calculating with about 3 billion dollars in investment costs, and is in talks with four or five other energy companies, including the PTT Group, to share the load.
Last year Energy Absolute purchased the Taiwanese battery manufacturer Amita Technologies, in order to benefit from their experience with lithium-ion batteries. Energy Absolute is by no means limiting themselves to battery production, however: By the end of this year, the company has agreed to install 1,000 charging stations for EVs in Bangkok and other major cities in Thailand.
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