ProLogium founder and CEO Vincent Yang announces the official opening of the world's first "gigafactory" dedicated to producing electric vehicle batteries in Taoyuan Tuesday. CNA photo Jan. 23, 2024
Taipei, Jan. 23 (CNA) Taiwan-based electric vehicle solid-state battery maker ProLogium Technology Co. officially opened the world's first "gigafactory" dedicated to producing electric vehicle batteries in Taoyuan Tuesday.
The facility, which began rolling out electric vehicle batteries to domestic clients at the end of 2023, has a maximum production capacity of 2GWh a year, ProLogium said.
According to ProLogium, the Taoyuan site will start to ship solid-state lithium ceramic batteries to foreign clients this year and is expected to supply products for up to 26,000 vehicles annually.
ProLogium said that initial production in Taoyuan would hit around 0.5Gwh.
ProLogium has said that it poured a total of NT$4.2 billion (US$134 million) in Taoyuan, creating an estimated 1,200 jobs in the city's Guanyin District.
Speaking with the press at Tuesday's opening, ProLogium founder and CEO Vincent Yang (楊思枏) said the Taoyuan factory marked the arrival of the next-generation solid-state battery development and provided a new electric vehicle battery production platform worldwide.
By taking advantage of the new Taoyuan site, Yang said, ProLogium can extend its reach worldwide.
ProLogium, the world's only successful commercial manufacturer of solid-state electric vehicle batteries, is being wooed by several European countries, as the European Union (EU) prepares to implement a zero-emissions regulation for all new vehicles, starting in 2035.
In May 2023, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that ProLogium would build a huge plant in Dunkirk with an investment of 5.2 billion euros (US$5.66 billion), creating around 3,000 jobs.
Yang said in Taoyuan Tuesday that the Dunkirk project was proceeding smoothly, adding he expected an environmental impact assessment report to secure regulatory approval with mass production slated to begin in 2027.
In August 2023, the EU approved a French measure to provide up to 1.5 billion euros in state aid to ProLogium.
Under the measure, the aid will take the form of a direct grant of up to 1.5 billion euros to cover the research and development project as well as the construction of the 48Gwh gigafactory in Dunkirk until the end of 2029, according to the EU.
ProLogium said in August that it had been allowed to be involved in the Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) on batteries since December 2022 and will pursue its collaborations with direct partners in this IPCEI.
ProLogium added involvement in the IPCEI demonstrated ProLogium has been recognized for its innovation and industrialization process at the heart of the European battery ecosystem.
In addition, Yang told reporters on Tuesday that ProLogium is considering the options of fundraising and the launch of an initial public offering (IPO) is one of the options but the details need time to hammer out.
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