Svolt Energy, formerly the battery business unit of Great Wall Motor, has started construction of its 15 GWh per year power battery project in Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province, eastern China, with a total investment of RMB 5.6 billion ($860 million).

The project has a total site area of 482 mu (321,300 square meters) and a new construction area of 480,000 square meters, according to information released by the local government.

Svolt Energy's new 15 GWh power battery project begins construction-CnEVPost

Svolt has purchased advanced production equipment for the project, including an intelligent digital lithium battery production line, a module control production line, a fully automated coating line and a machine tool processing line.

On July 16, Svolt announced the mass production of its first cobalt-free battery, which was the first product of its kind in the world to come out of the laboratory and into mass production.

The cobalt-free battery has an energy density of 240 Wh/kg and a capacity of 115 Ah-MEB, featuring high safety, high energy density, high cycle life and low cost, according to Svolt.

Compared to comparable high nickel ternary batteries, the cell can reach more than 3,000 cycles and can pass a hot box test at 150°C and an overcharge test at 140 percent SOC, the company's said.

Svolt is pushing forward with the expansion of its cobalt-free batteries, which will be rolled out in volume at its Maanshan base in Anhui province by the end of the year.

Svolt's cobalt-free batteries will first be supplied to Great Wall Motor's brands.

Chinese power battery supplier Svolt announces mass production of its cobalt-free batteries