The battery industry has become a cornerstone of the global energy transition, and Europe is finally claiming its place at the forefront.
Swedish company Northvolt is leading the charge with gigafactories powered entirely by renewable energy, producing lithium-ion cells designed for full circularity.

Each Northvolt plant is built on a closed-loop model. End-of-life batteries are collected, processed, and reborn as new materials within the same facility — a process called Revolt. Nickel, cobalt, and lithium are recovered at purity levels comparable to virgin raw materials, reducing dependence on imported mining and cutting emissions by up to 70 %.

But the innovation extends beyond recycling. Manufacturing itself runs on hydropower, drastically lowering the carbon footprint per kilowatt-hour of battery capacity. Through smart automation and digital tracking, every cell is traceable from source to vehicle, giving automakers full visibility into their supply chains.

The company’s long-term goal is to make European battery production not just clean but cost-competitive with Asia. By 2030, Northvolt aims to supply 150 GWh of annual capacity — enough to power more than 2 million electric vehicles per year. Strategic partnerships with Volkswagen, BMW, and Volvo ensure that the technology scales across multiple industries, from transport to grid storage.

Northvolt’s story is about more than batteries; it’s about industrial sovereignty. Europe’s energy transition can’t rely solely on imported cells or raw materials.
By producing locally, powered by renewables, the continent builds resilience while creating tens of thousands of green jobs.

In a world hungry for low-carbon solutions, Northvolt demonstrates that sustainability and competitiveness are no longer opposites — they are inseparable.