GIGABAT (Sustainable and digitalized GIGAfactory for BATtery production with made-in-Europe machinery)

GIGABAT

gigafactories for the European industry

The GIGABAT project aims to strengthen and consolidate the European battery cell manufacturing industry (GEN3b Li-ion) in order to drive the green transition, optimise costs and ensure circularity. Faced with the need to increase Europe’s production capacity from 60 GWh to 900 GWh by 2030, GIGABAT promotes technological independence through the development of “made-in-Europe” machinery tailored to new gigafactories. The consortium fosters the creation of an efficient local ecosystem by integrating energy and materials supply chains, promoting the design of sustainable facilities that improve carbon footprint, energy management and logistics, while supporting the adoption of digital twins and the full digitalisation of the production plant.

Challenges

Develop and validate energy-efficient European machinery adapted for large-scale battery cell manufacturing, reducing reliance on external technologies.

Optimise production processes (such as electrode drying, cell assembly and material handling) through machinery innovation and testing in real pilot environments.

Achieve full optimisation and digitalisation of gigafactories by using digital twins and artificial intelligence to improve overall sustainability and plant efficiency.

Solution

The comprehensive GIGABAT solution ranges from the development of new production equipment (sensor-enabled machinery, post-electrode drying, innovative cutting and assembly systems) to digital and material-handling solutions (including direct recycling and storage).

It also provides a roadmap for the creation of a Battery Passport and a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) model to ensure the sustainability of the gigafactory from start to finish.