Fenecon opens factory for second-life battery storage systems

Fenecon has opened its CarBatteryReFactory. The factory in Iggensbach, Lower Bavaria (Germany), produces large-scale stationary storage systems from new, disused electric vehicle batteries.

Production of management systems for home storage systems has also been relocated to the new plant. The factory’s production capacity is around 500 large storage systems and 30,000 home storage units per year. Fenecon will significantly increase its capacities with the CarBatteryReFactory: The company has been manufacturing large containerised storage units from EV batteries since 2017, but only in small-batch production at its plant in Künzing, Germany.

The home storage line has been up and running since January, followed by large-scale production of the industrial models in February, as the company announced at the opening ceremony. Only new electric vehicle batteries from German premium vehicle manufacturers are used in the commercial and industrial storage systems with capacities ranging from 82 kWh to 1,288 kWh.

Fenecon started construction of the CarBatteryReFactory back in November 2022. The first expansion phase was budgeted at 22 million euros, but according to the latest announcement, it reached 25 million euros. The Bavarian Economic Development Agency provided 1.7 million euros, and 4.5 million euros from the EU Innovation Fund as funding.

Charging station at every car park

The 24,000 square metre site on the A3 not only houses the production building, but also warehouses, a development laboratory, offices and training rooms. According to Fenecon, it will create 100 permanent jobs at the plant. As the company fleet is entirely electric, all car parks on the site will also be equipped with a charging station. There are also fast chargers for cars and trucks.

The building’s energy management system utilises two large in-house storage units with 1,000 and 1,800 kWh. The energy management system coordinates and optimises all consumers, energy generators (PV system with 500 kWp on the roof and façade surfaces), and large heat pumps. Grid electricity is purchased using a dynamic electricity tariff at quarter-hourly prices based on the in-house FEMS Dynamic Electricity Tariff app – as it can also be used with the Fenecon home storage systems, according to the company.

Fenecon will soon be doing the same in North America: A second CarBatteryReFactory is being built in South Carolina, which will recycle EV batteries for the US market.

haffapartner.com (in German)