French gigafactory provides lithium-ion batteries for electric cars

The project will finance the construction and operation of an advanced manufacturing plant in Douai, France.

The aim is to supply the Renault Group with a new generation of Lithium-ion batteries for Electric Vehicles (EV). The project is eligible under Article 309 point (a) projects for developing less-developed regions and point (c) common interest.

The project concerns the implementation in Europe of an advanced manufacturing technology for the production of advanced li-ion battery cells. The latter is considered a key enabler for the development of the European EV industry.

The company achieved an important milestone in the prototyping of the cells and now needs to follow suit with getting it in a stable serial production at acceptable scrap rate, the hardest part in this high-tech industry by some accounts.

The project could make a substantial contribution to the development of the EU-based battery industry. The knowledge spillovers in Europe are related to the cooperation with the French EPC constructor for the development and construction of the highly specialised building (clean room, utilities), and with regional technical schools for the up/re-skilling of the labour force.

The project caters for the transition in e-mobility by supplying the growing demand in Europe for EV Batteries with advanced battery cells. It therefore qualifies in full as Climate Action (mitigation).

The project is located in a cohesion region where it will create significant long-term skilled employment. It therefore qualifies in full under Cohesion. 

The operation qualifies for InvestEU eligibility under the following main policy priority areas:

SIW:

1.1.6 Modernisation and decarbonisation of industry

(a)       decarbonisation investments in industries, in particular transport, aiming at significant reduction or avoidance of GHG emissions; and

(c)       investments in assets enabling the flow of low-carbon energy.

Europe must master the de-carbonisation of its transport sector. This passes through the transformation of its automotive industry from supplying vehicles running on carbon fuels to vehicles running on electricity. This in turn requires the build-up of an innovative European battery industry. Europe lags behind in the development and industrialisation of battery technologies and the related know-how.

The project addresses these failures.

The project:

(a) has the nature of a public good for which the operator or company cannot capture sufficient financial benefits (knowledge dissemination through technology transfer and education and skills of the local labour, and a lasting specialised infrastructure being made available at no or negligible cost, both in a Cohesion Region);

(b) generates externalities which the operator or company fails to internalise, such as climate mitigation.

The financing also addresses the market failure of insufficient investment in a transition region and thus supporting the strengthening of the EU's economic, social and territorial cohesion. 

The Project's external benefits are potentially high as it contributes to the establishment of an industrial value chain in Europe of a competitive battery technology. The Project will lead to important knowledge transfer to Europe. It will deploy advanced manufacturing activities and related high skilled jobs in Europe. The Project will furthermore help creating the conditions for the deployment of e-mobility, and the development of a cleaner and more sustainable transport system In Europe and lead to lower emissions of pollutants (health benefits) and CO2 (climate benefits) on the roads.

The proposed non-recourse structure is innovative for this type of project, traditionally financed through corporate loans by commercial banks at sponsors' level. EIB's capability to appraise and structure the Project with unmatched terms and conditions on the commercial market would bring significant added value to the Promoter. EIB will not only close a large financing gap but also crowd in other financiers. The increased risk profile of the loans (loan tenor potentially going beyond the Renault offtake contract and being exposed to a mix of substantial market / technology / offtaker creditworthiness risks, subject to acceptability being confirmed during appraisal) beyond what the Bank traditionally regards as acceptable, can be considered thanks to Invest EU protection. 

Considering the above, the project will generate economic benefits that are greater than those captured by the investor's financial returns.

The operation would not be carried out to the same extent by the EIB without the InvestEU support.

The implementation of an industrial scale plant for serial production of lithium-ion battery cells requires a full environmental impact assessment (EIA) or a screening decision in accordance with the EIA directive. This and other environmental, climate and social aspects will be appraised during project due diligence.

The promoter has been assessed by the EIB as being a private company not subject to EU rules on public procurement or concessions.

The project concerns a first implementation in Europe of an advanced manufacturing technology tailored to the production of a sub-type of advanced li-ion battery cells. The latter is considered a key enabler for the development of the European EV industry. The project could make a substantial contribution to the development of the EU-based battery industry. The knowledge spillovers in Europe are related to the cooperation with the French EPC constructor for the development and construction of the highly specialised building (clean room, utilities), and with regional technical schools for the up/re-skilling of the labour force. The project caters for the transition in e-mobility by supplying the growing demand in Europe for EV batteries with advanced battery cells. It therefore qualifies in full as Climate Action (mitigation). The project is located in a cohesion region where it will create significant long-term skilled employment. It therefore qualifies in full under EU Cohesion.