Schneider Electric has signed a strategic agreement with the Taiwanese-based battery manufacturer ProLogium.

Specifically, Schneider Electric and ProLogium will combine their expertise to develop smart manufacturing and energy management systems. Moreover, to optimize the production of Lithium Ceramic Batteries in ProLogium’s gigafactory in Dunkirk in France.

Digitizing Gigafactory

This technology partnership focuses on digitizing the gigafactory’s power distribution and industrial automation systems. Thus, improving the operational efficiency of the manufacturing and quality processes. Furthermore, it will also reduce both the production facility’s energy consumption and carbon footprint.

Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s Economic Transition Scenario forecasts that fully electric vehicles will represent 81% of all cars sold in Europe by 2038. Solutions that reduce energy and production scrap, cut carbon emissions, and optimize process performance are necessary to meet this demand. Moreover, it is also important to integrate battery recycling schemes to strengthen Europe’s emerging battery manufacturing value chain.

ProLogium’s manufacturing site in Dunkirk will be a valuable local supplier for the European electric car industry. Specifically, it will be producing Lithium Ceramic Batteries that are more powerful, safer, and quicker to charge than lithium-ion cells. What more, the company will manufacture them using France’s decarbonized energy.

€5.2 Billion Factory

Schneider Electric and ProLogium signed the agreement in the presence of French Minister for Transport, Patrice Vergriete. This agreement signals the beginning of the planning and design phases of ProLogium’s €5.2 billion factory announced during President Macron’s visit to Dunkirk in May 2023. Moreover, the plant has a vision of providing 3,000 jobs in the region by 2030.

“This agreement represents our shared vision for a more sustainable, energy efficient and resilient future built on innovation and electrification,” said Laurent Bataille, Executive Vice President, Schneider Electric France Operations. “While demonstrating the pivotal role that both ProLogium and Schneider Electric play in the French government’s green re-industrialization strategy.”

Present in over 100 countries, Schneider Electric’s technology and expertise can help industrial enterprises establish smart factories and achieve future-ready, innovative, sustainable, and effective end-to-end digital transformation.

In January this year, ProLogium inaugurated its Taoyuan gigafactory in Taiwan. Specifically, it will produce batteries for 26,000 electric vehicles once at full capacity. ProLogium’s Dunkirk factory will commence production in 2027.   

17 May 2024