Swedish Battery Industrialisation Centre (SweBIC)

To enable the transition to a carbon-neutral society and a fossil-free transport sector, it is essential to ensure continued development and production of batteries. According to estimates from the World Economic Forum, global battery production will need to increase by a factor of 19 by 2030 to make the transition to a low-carbon economy. In the EU, transport accounts for around 25 % of greenhouse gas emissions and is the main cause of urban air pollution. Sweden has set a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from domestic transport by 70 % by 2030 compared to 2010.  

Batteries are a technology choice that has already taken place industrially in light vehicles and are expected to make up the bulk of truck transportation in the future. Other transport modes such as regional aviation and ferries are also expected to be electrified by batteries. Batteries are also key to the transition of the energy system. Stationary batteries can be used to stabilize the electricity grid and enable the increased deployment of green but weather-dependent energy sources such as wind and solar power. 

The battery industry is currently undergoing a rapid development and expansion as an increase in global demand for batteries is expected to go from about 282 GWh in 2021 to about 2623 GWh in 2030.  In Europe more than 40 battery factories are being built and planned in the coming years. 

Sweden currently has a strong position in this value chain and is now ranked number 10 in the world according to Bloomberg NEF [7], but more needs to be done to ensure a long-term competitive research infrastructure in the industrialization of large-scale battery production. The rapid development of technology also means that it is necessary to bridge the gap between research and future application, where a national infrastructure is central to quickly bring solutions from research to higher technology maturity. 

The purpose of this feasibility study is to investigate the possibilities of establishing a national research and development infrastructure for scaling up battery cell production to support the research and development of a battery industry that in turn leads to Sweden being established as a world-leading nation in the development, production, use and recycling of batteries. Sweden has several areas of strength that give the country great opportunities to become a leading battery nation that contributes to future welfare and to the political objectives of the Paris Agreement and Agenda 2030. However, this presupposes that the work is intensified and contributes to resource-efficient and sustainable circular flows. For batteries, development has only just begun, and rapid progress is being made in both technical solutions and business models. A clear ambition is to create a test and demo environment.

Swedish applied research needs to be strengthened in order to remain competitive and contribute to the rapid introduction of new sustainable batteries to the market. Efforts for the supply of skills in Sweden in the short and long term need to be urgently stepped up. Further efforts will also be needed in areas such as excellent basic research, so that Sweden can reap the benefits of a sustainable battery value chain and ensure Swedish competitiveness, security of supply and climate and environmental goals.