Morrow to supply battery cells for storage facilities in Ukraine’s schools, hospitals

War-torn Ukraine could be one of the first customers to receive battery cells from the 1 GWh factory being developed by Morrow Batteries in southern Norway.

Anna Zamazeeva, head of the State Agency for Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving of Ukraine (SAEE), was due to sign a letter of intent to receive Morrow’s lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cells in a ceremony held in the Norwegian city of Stavanger on August 27, 2024.

The government of Ukraine wants to develop a network of distributed battery energy storage systems (BESS) across the nation to preserve energy supplies as Russia continues to attack its energy infrastructure.

The letter of intent due to be signed in Stavanger could see Ukraine purchase cells in a gigawatt-hour volume of capacity, according to a press release issued by Morrow, which said it could begin delivering cells in the first quarter of 2025.

The cells will be made in Morrow’s gigafatory in Arendal, where the manufacturer has plans for a second, “Eyde I” fab.

Morrow, which has been sending out samples of LFP cells made on its pilot manufacturing line since November 2023, expects to begin full-scale manufacturing at Arendal in the final quarter of 2024.

“We are proud to have been chosen as a preferred partner by SAEE,” said Morrow managing director Lars Christian Bacher, quoted in his company’s press release. “Our LFP battery cells for BESS solutions can ease the burden on the Ukrainian people somewhat by reducing power outages. We recognize the urgency and will do our best to be ready to sign a sales agreement with the relevant authorities in Ukraine quickly.”

Bacher, who was due to be present at the letter-of-intent signing, added, “We are experiencing increasing demand for our LFP battery cells, that are suitable for both the BESS and commercial vehicle markets. Demand is driven by the need for independent suppliers and European purchases in a world characterized by increased geopolitical uncertainty and war, as well as the transition from fossil to green energy sources.”

SAEE head Zamazeeva said, “Ensuring a stable power supply is important for Ukraine and President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy has defined it as a task for the government to establish energy storage facilities in every school and hospital as soon as possible. This underlines the need to build a strong battery value chain in Europe. Access to batteries produced by European suppliers is a critical factor for building less vulnerable networks and for securing batteries for mobile solutions.”