Battery company from China was supposed to create jobs in Germany: Then it cancels everything

EFAHRER.com Battery company from China was supposed to create jobs in Germany: Then it cancels everything Article by Vanessa Marx • 6 hours • 2 minutes reading time This is what the new battery factory in Überherrn should have looked like. The industrial location of Saarland is currently facing difficult times. After the American chip manufacturer Wolfspeed announced at the end of October that it would put the construction of a new chip factory in Ensdorf, Saarland, on hold for the time being, the next bad news followed. The planned construction of a battery cell factory by SVolt in Überherrn is also off the table. As Saarländischer Rundfunk (SR) reports, the subsidiary SVolt Europa will cease its operational business on January 31, 2025. This will not only eliminate existing jobs, but also the prospect of thousands of new jobs. SVolt is canceling its second location in Germany this year According to the SR, SVolt Europe boss Hongxin Yan informed the Saarland Minister of Economic Affairs Jürgen Barke (SPD) by email about the end of the plans in Saarland. All existing employment contracts will be terminated by January 31, 2025. SVolt itself has not yet commented on the closure in Europe when asked, instead referring to a press office in China. The new battery cell factory would have been a ray of hope for Saarland. Up to 2,000 employees could have found employment there in the future. In addition, there are rental income in the millions. Only in the summer of this year did the Chinese company sign a 15-year lease in Überherrn. According to the SR, the rent for the site of the former laminate park amounts to around one million euros annually. This will continue to be paid in accordance with the contract. The FDP is therefore calling for more transparency: "The state government has a duty to inform how many millions of taxpayers' money have already flowed into these locations - especially in light of the now failed settlement plans." China "much cleverer" - e-car strategy: Expert warns of disaster in the auto industry However, Saarland is not the only location that is struggling with a rejection from SVolt. The battery manufacturer also wanted to build a new factory in Lauchhammer, Brandenburg. The company officially canceled this construction in the summer. One of the reasons for the withdrawal from Europe is the difficult situation on the e-car market.