1.5 billion investment between Orano and Chinese XTC in Dunkirk

XTC and Orano will invest 1.5 billion euros in a lithium battery plant in Dunkirk, creating 1,700 jobs. This initiative is part of a larger project to develop the production of electric batteries in France. At the same time, the installation of other battery plants in the region promises to generate 20,000 jobs by 2030.

Partagez:

China’s XTC and France’s Orano will invest 1.5 billion euros and create 1,700 jobs in a site linked to lithium batteries in Dunkirk (Nord), Emmanuel Macron announced Friday. “We have just signed with XTC and Orano to produce cathode materials for lithium batteries,” he said during a trip to Dunkirk. The project amounts to “1.5 billion euros for 1,700 jobs,” he said.

This announcement comes just hours after the official announcement of the installation of a battery production plant for electric cars in Dunkirk, the fourth in the Hauts-de-France region, that of the Taiwanese group ProLogium. Contacted by AFP, Orano’s management indicated that it would communicate on this subject at the time of the Choose France summit, intended to attract foreign projects, the 6th edition of which is scheduled for Monday in Versailles.

20,000 jobs created by 2030

XTC New Energy Materials specializes in the production of materials for lithium batteries used in electric vehicles. Emmanuel Macron met with its general manager, Jiang Long, in Guangzhou, during his visit to China last April. The joint venture between XTC and Orano is presented by the head of state as “complementary” to the Prologium plant, because it will intervene “upstream” of the production of electric batteries. According to a source close to the matter, it will be located at the port of Dunkirk, just like the ProLogium plant, which will invest 5.2 billion euros between now and 2030, with 3,000 jobs in the plant and 12,000 indirect jobs in the area. “Before the end of the decade, we will have more than 20,000 new jobs in the Dunkirk basin,” according to Emmanuel Macron. “We’re going to put our foot down on skills and training, that’s the mother of all battles.”

In addition to Prologium, three other plants are being designed in France, all in the Nord and Pas-de-Calais regions. The first, built by ACC (a joint venture between Stellantis, TotalEnergies and Mercedes-Benz), is due to open soon in Douvrin near Lens (Pas-de-Calais). A factory of the Sino-Japanese group AESC-Envision is to produce batteries for Renault in Douai (Nord) from the beginning of 2025, then a third site of the Grenoble-based start-up Verkor is to start production in Dunkirk from mid-2025, also with Renault as its main customer.

The U.S. energy storage market set a historic record in early 2025, surpassing 2 GW installed in the first quarter despite increasing uncertainty regarding federal fiscal policies and tax credits.
The Sino-Moroccan joint venture COBCO has begun manufacturing essential lithium-ion battery components at its Jorf Lasfar plant, targeting a final annual capacity of 70 GWh, enough to equip one million electric vehicles.
Trianel teams with BKW and Luxcara to build a 900 MW lithium-iron-phosphate storage park in Waltrop, the first phase of a complex that could reach 1.5 GW and stabilise the German grid.
Blue Whale Energy partners with UNIGRID to deploy behind-the-meter storage systems adapted to constrained commercial and industrial urban areas in Southeast Asia.
Northvolt, recently placed under judicial administration, has received an indicative offer from a foreign investor to acquire its Swedish assets, signaling a potential imminent restart of its battery production units.
The frame agreement aligns Jinko ESS’s utility-scale storage technology with Metlen’s development pipeline, unlocking more than 3GWh across Chile and Europe while reducing delivery risk for grid operators.
Buffalo-based Viridi has obtained the cETLus mark for its RPS150 system, meeting the UL 9540 standard only days after a public battery fire-containment demonstration.
Tesla is building a giant electricity storage facility in Shanghai, China, signing a $560 million contract to meet growing demands on the urban electricity grid.
Envision Energy signs a turnkey contract with Kallista Energy for a 120 MW / 240 MWh energy storage project in Saleux, Hauts-de-France, marking its entry into France’s stationary battery market.
The Dubai-based company obtains a USD72mn loan to add a 300MWh battery system to its 500MW solar plant in Kom Ombo, with commissioning expected in July 2025.
Asian developer Gurīn Energy selected Saft to supply a battery storage system exceeding 1 GWh in Fukushima, marking a new stage in Japan’s energy storage deployment.
Chinese lithium-ion battery manufacturer CBAK Energy confirmed a $11.6mn order for LFP cylindrical batteries to power the electric motorcycle fleet of a rapidly growing African group.
China’s 600MW/2400MWh project enters energisation phase following the installation of 240 battery containers, initiating initial maintenance of this ultra-high-voltage hybrid energy facility.
Wanhua Chemical has signed a strategic agreement with Serbian manufacturer ElevenEs to establish a localised supply chain for LFP battery materials, reinforcing their technical and industrial cooperation in the European market.
The partnership targets the development, construction and operation of over 500 MW of battery energy storage systems in France, with 200 MW nearing the construction phase.
Envision Energy and SUN Terra join forces to build a full energy storage value chain in Southeast Asia, India and Australia, including local manufacturing and technology licensing.
EDF Renouvelables has started building its first large-scale energy storage battery in Poland, a 50 MW project set to be operational by late 2025 in the Opole region.
Enfinity Global has sold a 49% minority stake in two energy storage projects in the US and Italy to Daiwa Energy & Infrastructure, a major player in alternative investments.
Sigenergy deployed a 20 MWh modular energy storage system on a solar power plant in Bulgaria, demonstrating a targeted industrial investment in high-efficiency storage technologies.
Chinese lithium-ion battery maker CBAK Energy received a new $3mn order from India’s Livguard, bringing the total value of their agreements to $7.9mn.