TRONDHEIM, Norway--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The green investment company Valinor has established Elinor Batteries, a gigafactory for sustainable battery production in Orkland, Mid-Norway. The factory will be the first industrial initiative to be hosted by the green industrial site Eiktyr, which will be the largest of its kind in Norway, with an area of 6 square kilometers.
Preparation and construction of the first phase of Elinor Batteries will commence as early as next year, with the first production set in Q2, 2026.
"Battery production on a large scale is essential to succeed with the energy transition," says Lars Helge Helvig, chairman of the Valinor board.
Elinor Batteries is a direct response to the Norwegian government's strategy for developing a complete value chain for battery production in Norway, published this summer.
Valinor has hired Terje Andersen as the CEO of Elinor Batteries. He brings valuable experience from his former position as head of Morrow Batteries, also located in Norway.
As the world moves towards massive electrification, the demand for sustainably produced batteries increases rapidly day by day.
"There are no other places in the world more suitable for producing sustainable batteries than Central Norway," says Andersen.
The area has vast access to Europe's cheapest renewable power. In addition, the tech capital of Trondheim is located only 30 minutes away, providing access to leading R&D resources and a substantial labour market.
Elinor Batteries' products will be based on LFP technology and will not depend on nickel and cobalt.
The gigafactory will be developed in modules to limit financial and technological risks. The first module can start production as early as 2026, with estimated investments of about EUR 1 billion. Three modules are planned towards 2030, and Valinor has funded the project's initial phase. A funding round will take place later in 2023.
Elinor is initially targeting the market for stationary storage of electric energy for buildings, industry and charging stations for electric transportation and marine applications.
Elinor sees potential for creating several thousand jobs in the region when the factory reaches full-scale production.
