Norway inaugurates Europe’s first LFP gigafactory

Norwegian battery cell producer Morrow Batteries has opened Europe’s first lithium iron phosphate (LFP) gigafactory with an annual production capacity of 1 GWh in a bid to supply the ever-growing European battery energy storage market.

On August 16, Norway’s Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Store, inaugurated the factory in Arendal, just under two years after Morrow began construction works and four years after it first presented the plans for the facility.

Test production has already started, as the manufacturer continues to work closely with customers to fine-tune the production equipment to achieve serial production quality over the following months. Morrow expects that commercial production will commence at the end of the year.

Since November last year, Morrow has produced and shipped thousands of LFP sample cells to potential customers for testing and validation at the company’s Customer Qualification Line (CQL). “The company can now deliver a commercially viable, thoroughly tested, competitive LFP product,” Morrow said in a statement.

Founded in 2020 by a consortium that includes A Energy, ABB, Siemens, and other partners., Morrow specializes in prismatic LFP battery cells. It focuses on the energy storage market, with applications ranging from behind-the-meter solutions to larger utility-scale projects, and it plans to expand into mobility applications in the future.

In the long run, Morrow is looking to advance its “next-gen” lithium nickel manganese oxide (LNMO) batteries, which are based on a cathode technology that “eliminates cobalt and reduces nickel and lithium while maximising clean and abundant manganese.”

The Arendal battery cell factory will employ about 150 people. Morrow aims to increase its annual production capacity at the location to 43 GWh by 2028, through the addition of three further facilities each constributing 14 GWh and specilizing in battery module manufacturing.