Gdańsk University of Technology has established cooperation with Northvolt | Gdańsk University of Technology

Northvolt is one of the largest companies in the world dedicated to developing and delivering top-quality, sustainable battery and energy storage solutions. On Wednesday, 8 December in Gdańsk - Stogi the company launched the construction of a factory with an area of 50,000 m². The project is worth approximately USD 200 million, and Gdańsk University of Technology will help in its development.

The first shovel ceremony for the construction of the factory was attended by local authorities (Pomeranian Voivode Dariusz Drelich, Vice-Marshal of the Voivodeship Leszek Bonna, Mayor of Gdańsk Aleksandra Dulkiewicz) as Northvolt signed a cooperation agreement with Gdańsk University of Technology and Poznań University of Technology. On behalf of Gdańsk Tech, the contract was initialed by prof. Krzysztof Wilde, rector of Gdańsk Tech. Poznań University of Technology was represented by prof. Wojciech Sumelka, Vice-Rector for Science, and the investor was represented by Robert Chryc Gawrychowski, CEO of Northvolt Poland.

– Active support for industry and business is one of the main missions of our university. We have been cooperating in this area with many entities and on various levels for many years - says prof. Krzysztof Wilde, rector of Gdańsk Tech. – The agreement we have just signed confirms this trend, and also shows that our partnership with the socio-economic environment in Pomerania is close and effective. I am convinced that the conclusion of this agreement will benefit both Northvolt and the further development of our university and the competences of our students, doctoral students and scientists.

Among the ambitions of the new partnership is to support battery R&D projects, doctoral programs and other opportunities in relation to the emerging battery value chain in the region. The parties that signed the agreement committed themselves to close scientific and research cooperation, which will in particular consist in:

• conducting scientific research in such areas as energy, electrical engineering, battery energy storage as well as automation and robotics,
• implementation of grant applications (in terms of research opportunities that the parties have),
• implementation of work placements, student and doctoral internships,
• partner, open, ethical and mutually developing cooperation.

About the Northvolt factory in Gdańsk

The factory with an area of 50 thousand m² will cost around USD 200 million and will create over 500 jobs in the region. The project will be implemented in two stages. The initial capacity will be 5 GWh, and production is expected to start in 2022. In the second phase of the project, the factory will expand the capacity to 12 GWh. Northvolt will also create a new center of engineering and R&D excellence in cooperation with the new factory to seize the opportunities in the emerging value chain.

The new facility will significantly increase Northvolt's ability to manufacture battery systems for industrial and stationary energy storage markets using sustainable lithium-ion battery cells from the Northvolt Ett gigafactory in Skellefteå, Sweden. Northvolt's ambition is to further develop the low-emission production platform created in Sweden as part of its operations in Poland, therefore the Northvolt factory in Gdańsk will be powered by renewable energy, including energy produced on site.