- About 2,000 Chinese workers will participate in the factory's construction, with production expected to start by late 2026, according to Reuters.
- The plant is projected to have a total investment of 4.04 billion euros ($4.68 billion), marking CATL's third facility in Europe.
CATL (HKG: 3750, SHE: 300750) is breaking ground on a battery plant in Spain, expanding the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker's production capacity in Europe.
The battery plant -- developed by CATL in partnership with European automaker Stellantis --will begin construction Wednesday in Figueruelas, a town in northeastern Aragon, Spain, Reuters reported today.
About 2,000 Chinese workers will participate in the factory's construction, followed by the recruitment and training of 3,000 Spanish employees, according to union representatives cited by Reuters.
"We don't know this technology, these components -- we've never made them before," said David Romeral, director general of CAAR Aragon, a network of automotive businesses in Aragon.
"They're years ahead of us. All we can do is watch and learn" Romeral said.
CATL said that some Chinese technicians and managers have already arrived in Figueruelas, Reuters said.
Hundreds more will arrive by year-end, with the number expected to approach 2,000 by the end of next year, the company said.
The plant received over 300 million euros in EU funding and is slated to begin production by late 2026, Reuters noted.
CATL announced in December 2024 plans to establish a 50-50 joint venture with Stellantis in Spain to build a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery factory.
The facility, with a total investment of 4.04 billion euros ($4.68 billion), will be CATL's third in Europe.
With an annual capacity of up to 50 GWh, the facility targets Stellantis as its primary customer, according to CATL's announcement in December last year.
Stellantis said at the time that the joint venture would establish a large-scale European LFP battery plant in Spain, with production slated to commence at Stellantis' Zaragoza facility by late 2026.
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