6 March, 2024 | Gothenburg, Sweden – NOVO Energy, the joint venture between Northvolt and Volvo Cars, celebrated the start of construction for its highly anticipated battery factory in Torslanda, Gothenburg. Located near Volvo Cars' manufacturing plant, the start of construction marks a significant milestone in the Western Sweden region's central role in the transition towards sustainable energy and mobility.

In a ceremony, Jim Rowan, CEO of Volvo Cars; Peter Carlsson, CEO of Northvolt; and Adrian Clarke, CEO of NOVO Energy, placed the cornerstone for the future gigafactory and underscored their joint commitment to advancing the electrification of transportation and their partnership.

"This cornerstone ceremony signifies the realization of our joint vision to establish a world-class battery gigafactory on the West Coast of Sweden," said Adrian Clarke, CEO of NOVO Energy. "By leveraging the expertise and resources of both Northvolt and Volvo Cars, we can accelerate the transition towards sustainable mobility and make Gothenburg, the region’s automotive capital, an important hub for the fast-growing Nordic battery industry.”

The joint venture is growing rapidly, with plans to double its workforce from 250 to 500 by the end of the year. Throughout 2024, NOVO Energy is proactively recruiting, both in Sweden and abroad, for talent specialized in R&D, Engineering and Construction. Recruitment efforts will intensify in 2025, focusing on manufacturing roles to prepare for start of production in 2026.

The gigafactory's strategic location in Gothenburg underscores the close collaboration with Volvo Cars and the commitment to sustainable practices. The gigafactory will be powered by 100% fossil-free energy and battery cells from the gigafactory will only travel a few meters into Volvo’s new Battery Assembly which is being built directly adjacent to the gigafactory.

“Today’s start of construction is an important milestone for Volvo Cars as we move steadily towards becoming a fully electric car maker by 2030,” said Jim Rowan. “Electric cars are our future, and our record 2023 sales performance demonstrates that customers like what they see in our electric portfolio. In coming years we will further expand our electric portfolio, and this new battery plant will play a crucial role in powering those cars and achieving our ambitions.” 

The partnership between Northvolt and Volvo Cars combines one of the most well-known and respected car brands in the world and a leading supplier of sustainable, high-quality battery cells and systems, dedicated to delivering the world’s most sustainable lithium-ion battery.

“This joint venture is about creating a high-performance battery cell for high-performance cars, and we are aiming to produce it with the lowest CO2-footprint in the automotive industry,” said Peter Carlsson, Co-Founder and CEO of Northvolt. “Volvo Cars and Northvolt share a commitment to innovation and sustainability, together we will produce batteries for the next generation electric Volvo cars.”

About NOVO Energy

NOVO Energy is a joint venture between Northvolt and Volvo Cars, committed to developing and producing state-of-the art batteries, tailor-made for Volvo Cars. Established in 2022, the company has set up a research and development center in Gothenburg to build on the battery expertise within both companies and develop next-generation, state-of-the-art battery cells and vehicle integration technologies, specifically developed for use in Volvo cars. Groundworks for the first NOVO Energy gigafactory, with a potential cell manufacturing capacity of up to 50 gigawatt hours (GWh) per year, started in 2023. Production is scheduled to start in 2026.

← Back