XTC New Energy and Orano break ground on construction of Neomat CAM, the future battery materials plant in Dunkirk
XTC New Energy and Orano are today celebrating the groundbreaking ceremony for the Neomat CAM plant, the first industrial site in France for the manufacturing of cathode active materials (CAM) for electric vehicle batteries, in the presence of Roland Lescure, the French Minister of the Economy, Finance, and Industrial, Energy, and Digital Sovereignty, and Aurore Bergé, Minister Delegate to the French Prime Minister.
Along with executives from XTC New Energy and Orano, as well as representatives of their governing bodies — YANG Fang, Chairman of the Industrial Holding Group, LIN Hengxiang, Chairman of the Metallurgy Holding Group, and Claude Imauven, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Orano, the ceremony was attended by several leading institutional and business figures who were on hand to show their support for this project of strategic importance for the European battery industry.
Local elected representatives who played a major part in bringing this project to the area, namely Xavier Bertrand, President of the Hauts-de-France region; Patrice Vergriete, President of the Communauté Urbaine de Dunkerque; Bertrand Ringot, Mayor of Gravelines; and Eric Rommel, Mayor of Loon-Plage, were also present.
The Neomat CAM plant represents an investment of nearly 500 million euros. With a nominal manufacturing capacity of 40,000 metric tons, it will be capable of equipping 500,000 electric vehicles a year, with production expected to commence at the end of 2028. Once operational, the site will, from the outset, also house research and development activities to establish a firm foothold for know-how in the region.
Located at the heart of Grand Port Maritime de Dunkerque (GPMD) area, in the municipalities of Gravelines and Loon-Plage, the plant will help to guarantee long-term security of supply to gigafactories, strengthen Europe's battery value chain and support the competitiveness of the automotive industry.
The CAM plant will create nearly 600 direct and indirect jobs and help to inject dynamism into the re-industrialization of the area, thus confirming the positioning of the Hauts-de-France region as a major hub for the European battery industry.
This project, announced at the 2023 Choose France summit, is integral to the partnership between XTC New Energy and Orano, harnessing a combination of technological expertise and industrial know-how in support of the energy transition in Europe. It has received crucial support from the French government and the European Union, via several initiatives devoted to industrialization and decarbonization and in particular the France 2030 plan for its research activities.
For Roland Lescure, French Minister for the Economy, Finance, Industrial, Energy, and Digital Sovereignty: "With Neomat CAM, the “Choose France” approach can be seen in action: the investments announced in 2023 are now becoming factories under construction, and will soon translate into jobs and “Made in France” production. This project exemplifies our industrial strategy: to electrify, reindustrialize, and attract foreign investment in order to build a robust and sovereign European battery value chain. The partnership between XTC New Energy and Orano will create an additional strategic component of the electric car industry in Dunkirk, in the Hauts-de-France region—a vital step toward ending our dependence on fossil fuels."
For JIANG Long, General Manager of XTC New Energy: "Since the launch of our strategic cooperation in 2021, teams from China and France have joined forces to cope with market cycles, rise to technological challenges and meet the demands of transnational coordination, gradually turning our vision into reality culminating in today's official launch of the Neomat CAM plant. The realization of this project demonstrates the convergence between XTC New Energy and Orano on matters relating to the energy transition and strategic orientation, and is a leading example of mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Europe in the new energy sector. We will continue to apply exacting standards of implementation to ensure rapid and efficient ramp-up of production and to make a lasting contribution to the development of a global competitive and responsible low carbon industry."
For Nicolas Maes, Senior Executive Vice President of Orano: "This groundbreaking ceremony marks the concrete industrial realization of the ambition set out by XTC New Energy and Orano at the 2023 Choose France summit. Neomat CAM, the fruit of cooperation between two industrial groups specializing in the transformation of materials, is a decisive step towards securing European supplies, accelerating the energy transition and fostering the emergence in Dunkirk of strategic know-how in support of low-carbon mobility."
Along with executives from XTC New Energy and Orano, as well as representatives of their governing bodies — YANG Fang, Chairman of the Industrial Holding Group, LIN Hengxiang, Chairman of the Metallurgy Holding Group, and Claude Imauven, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Orano, the ceremony was attended by several leading institutional and business figures who were on hand to show their support for this project of strategic importance for the European battery industry.
Local elected representatives who played a major part in bringing this project to the area, namely Xavier Bertrand, President of the Hauts-de-France region; Patrice Vergriete, President of the Communauté Urbaine de Dunkerque; Bertrand Ringot, Mayor of Gravelines; and Eric Rommel, Mayor of Loon-Plage, were also present.
The Neomat CAM plant represents an investment of nearly 500 million euros. With a nominal manufacturing capacity of 40,000 metric tons, it will be capable of equipping 500,000 electric vehicles a year, with production expected to commence at the end of 2028. Once operational, the site will, from the outset, also house research and development activities to establish a firm foothold for know-how in the region.
Located at the heart of Grand Port Maritime de Dunkerque (GPMD) area, in the municipalities of Gravelines and Loon-Plage, the plant will help to guarantee long-term security of supply to gigafactories, strengthen Europe's battery value chain and support the competitiveness of the automotive industry.
The CAM plant will create nearly 600 direct and indirect jobs and help to inject dynamism into the re-industrialization of the area, thus confirming the positioning of the Hauts-de-France region as a major hub for the European battery industry.
This project, announced at the 2023 Choose France summit, is integral to the partnership between XTC New Energy and Orano, harnessing a combination of technological expertise and industrial know-how in support of the energy transition in Europe. It has received crucial support from the French government and the European Union, via several initiatives devoted to industrialization and decarbonization and in particular the France 2030 plan for its research activities.
For Roland Lescure, French Minister for the Economy, Finance, Industrial, Energy, and Digital Sovereignty: "With Neomat CAM, the “Choose France” approach can be seen in action: the investments announced in 2023 are now becoming factories under construction, and will soon translate into jobs and “Made in France” production. This project exemplifies our industrial strategy: to electrify, reindustrialize, and attract foreign investment in order to build a robust and sovereign European battery value chain. The partnership between XTC New Energy and Orano will create an additional strategic component of the electric car industry in Dunkirk, in the Hauts-de-France region—a vital step toward ending our dependence on fossil fuels."
For JIANG Long, General Manager of XTC New Energy: "Since the launch of our strategic cooperation in 2021, teams from China and France have joined forces to cope with market cycles, rise to technological challenges and meet the demands of transnational coordination, gradually turning our vision into reality culminating in today's official launch of the Neomat CAM plant. The realization of this project demonstrates the convergence between XTC New Energy and Orano on matters relating to the energy transition and strategic orientation, and is a leading example of mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Europe in the new energy sector. We will continue to apply exacting standards of implementation to ensure rapid and efficient ramp-up of production and to make a lasting contribution to the development of a global competitive and responsible low carbon industry."
For Nicolas Maes, Senior Executive Vice President of Orano: "This groundbreaking ceremony marks the concrete industrial realization of the ambition set out by XTC New Energy and Orano at the 2023 Choose France summit. Neomat CAM, the fruit of cooperation between two industrial groups specializing in the transformation of materials, is a decisive step towards securing European supplies, accelerating the energy transition and fostering the emergence in Dunkirk of strategic know-how in support of low-carbon mobility."