The joint battery cell factory of Chinese company Gotion High-Tech and Slovakian battery company InoBat in Šurany, Slovakia, is set to become a reality following the signing of an Investment Agreement between the government and the joint venture.
The agreement, which was signed after a previous letter of intent in November 2023, solidifies plans for the construction of the factory, which is expected to commence towards the end of the year with operations beginning in 2026. The initial capacity of the plant will be 20 GWh, with a planned total capacity of 60 GWh once fully operational.
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Phase one of the project will cover 100 hectares and create over 1,000 jobs. The new site aims to deploy “an innovative closed-loop circular value-chain, located in the Šurany strategic eco park home of the Šurany Battery Hub.”
Li Zhen, Chairman of Gotion High-Tech, expressed gratitude for the support from the Slovak government, stating, “Adhering to the principle of ‘In Slovakia, For Slovakia,’ and with the robust backing of the Slovak government, we are striving to develop the project into the most advanced zero-carbon battery factory in the EMEA region, assisting Šurany in becoming a crucial hub for batteries and new energy industries in Europe and contributing Gotion’s strength to global energy transformation.”
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InoBat CEO Marian Boček also highlighted the significance of the project for Slovakia, stating, “GIB’s Šurany factory will be among the largest and most innovative of its kind in the world. The Šurany Battery Hub will become a showcase for strategic eco-parks and a Hub for Research & Development.”
The memorandum of understanding signed in February 2023 between the Chinese and Slovakian companies also mentioned a technical cooperation for LFP and NMC batteries, as well as the potential for producing batteries for stationary energy storage in existing InoBat plants in Slovakia to provide Gotion quick access to the European market.
The joint venture, named GIB (Gotion-InoBat-Batteries), was founded in December 2023 and is based in Slovakia.
