March 28, 2024

Millions invested in German battery production

The Swiss raw materials company Blackstone Resources plans to invest 200 million euros in battery cell production in Germany.

For this purpose, the company founded Blackstone Research GmbH in Erfurt, which is to advance research and cell production. The production of 100,000 cells is planned in a first phase, but the production is to be expanded.

Location in Eisenach or Braunschweig

The city of Eisenach, which is located about 50 km west of Erfurt, is currently under discussion as a production location. Alternatively, the production facility in Braunschweig could be built near VW. The Chinese company CATL also wants to open its first German gigafactory in Erfurt. The cell factory in Thuringia is designed for an annual capacity of 14 gigawatt hours. CATL plans to invest a good 240 million euros by 2022.

According to the Swiss company, it is hoped that the EU Development and Research Fund and the German government will provide appropriate support in the form of funding, both at country and local level.

Blackstone trades in battery raw materials

For Blackstone Resources, battery manufacturing is an expansion of its core business. Blackstone Resources AG is a Swiss holding company that focuses on primary metals for the battery market. Blackstone also builds, develops and operates gold and battery metal refineries. It offers direct holdings in key battery metals, as large quantities of these metals such as cobalt, molybdenum, graphite and lithium are required due to the demand for electric vehicles. Blackstone Resources has also launched a research program on new battery technology and developed the internationally recognized battery code system BBC.