ProLogium to build €5.2B gigafactory for solid-state batteries in France

Taiwan-based ProLogium has chosen France as the location for its first large-scale solid-state battery manufacturing facility outside of Taiwan. ProLogium will invest a total of €5.2 billion to set up a 48 GWh gigafactory and an R&D center.

This major investment project aims to facilitate supply chain localization, R&D activities, and the manufacturing of next-generation batteries in Europe for ProLogium.

Specifically, ProLogium’s objective is threefold:

1. To put down roots in Europe;

2. To mass-produce next-generation batteries for EVs; and

3. To support the energy transition of the EU automotive industry, as ICE car sales will be banned by 2035.

Founded in 2006, ProLogium has demonstrated its ability to produce solid-state batteries (SSBs) on a large scale;
ProLogium’s automated pilot production line—activated in 2017—has supplied nearly 8,000 solid-state battery sample cells to international automotive OEMs for testing and module development. The company’s proprietary technologies are protected by more than 600 patents worldwide.

ProLogium replaces the fragile and flammable separator and liquid electrolyte in current lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) with a robust ceramic separator and uninflammable solid-state electrolyte. With improved safety, ProLogium’s solid-state battery allows for the use of highly active cathode and anode materials, thus enabling higher energy density, which means longer range for EV drivers. Solid-state batteries can also reduce the time for EV recharge to a level similar to the time it takes to refuel an ICE car, the company said.

Leveraging the proprietary solid structure and stable chemical properties of its solid-state electrolyte, ProLogium developed the patented “original-phase recycling” technology—a streamlined process to recycle a higher proportion of solid-state electrolyte with lower energy consumption. From recovery to reuse, the entire recycling process will help build up a sustainable circular economy for the local battery industry.

The use of decarbonized electricity for manufacturing processes will further reduce the carbon footprint of EVs with ProLogium battery inside.

ProLogium selected the city of Dunkirk from a long list of more than 90 cities in Europe following a rigorous review process. ProLogium’s project is expected to create 3,000 direct jobs and 12,000 indirect jobs for the local Dunkirk community by 2030. Scheduled to start production by the end of 2026, the construction is set to begin in the second half of 2024 once the public concertation, under the supervision of the CNDP, and permitting process are complete.