Valmet Automotive signs second customer deal for Uusikaupunki battery plant
- Production at the Uusikaupunki battery plant will begin at the end of this year
- The recruitment of 200 employees for the new plant will begin in the spring
- The plant will be focusing on high-voltage automotive battery systems and modules, also for full electric vehicles
Valmet Automotive has signed a second battery manufacturing contract with a major automotive OEM for the Uusikaupunki, Finland battery plant. The construction work at the Uusikaupunki battery plant site is proceeding as planned, with the production launch scheduled for the latter half of 2021. Production operator recruitments will start during spring this year.
The new contract further strengthens Valmet Automotive’s position as a main automotive battery systems provider, and it is yet another important step towards the company’s Tier 1 system supplier role in batteries and its strategic goal to expand the EV Systems business line. Details of the new contract can not be disclosed at this time.
Construction work is currently ongoing at the Uusikaupunki plant to transform areas formerly occupied by vehicle manufacturing business line into battery production areas. In addition to the work on parts of the existing plant’s interior, the battery plant makes it also necessary to expand the plant building.
The Uusikaupunki battery plant will be complementing the Salo plant in Valmet Automotive’s offering. The Salo plant is currently focusing on automotive batteries with an option to later expand to batteries of industrial applications. In battery contract manufacturing, Valmet Automotive is already one of the globally leading providers, with a capacity of hundreds of thousands of battery systems annually.
– The Uusikaupunki battery plant will be focusing on high-voltage automotive battery systems and modules, also for full electric vehicles. It is a key location in Valmet Automotive’s battery strategy, and will bring considerable synergies with the vehicle manufacturing, says Olaf Bongwald, CEO, Valmet Automotive.
The incorporation of two business lines, vehicle manufacturing and EV Systems, under one roof in Uusikaupunki enables closer co-operation of the business line organizations and optimizing this is an essential part of the ongoing preparations. In several functions, such as support functions, maintenance and logistics, teams will effectively support both business lines.
Valmet Automotive has now secured two battery manufacturing contracts with two major automotive OEMs for the Uusikaupunki plant. These contracts ensure employment for several years to come. The recruitment of around 200 production operators will be launched during this spring, while several experts and managers have already been recruited.