Car group Stellantis and the Chinese company CATL have laid the first stone For what will be the Gigafactory for Contemporary Energy Batteries – the “joint venture” of both companies established at the end of 2024 – in Figueruelas (Zaragoza), which will start production at the end of next year and whose project includes With investments of 4.1 billion eurosOf this, 300 million will come from European funds.
In the coming weeks 2,000 Chinese workers are expected to arrive in Aragon To begin work on launching the headquarters in Figueruelas, which will see its population triple in a short time (currently over 1,300 inhabitants). The new plant will occupy approximately 370,000 square metres, making the Stellantis complex an area of 890,000 square metres.
At full capacity, this plant is expected to build one million batteries per year starting in 2028, allowing the arrival of affordable electric vehicles for the Stellantis Group in both Spain and Europe. “It’s not every day that a project like this is born that will have an impact beyond the economic one. Stellantis, formerly General Motors, manufactures Figueruelas It is one of the group’s most competitive factories across Europe“said the President of Aragon, Jorge Azcon.
Azcon emphasized: “We see in other European countries that their factories are suffering from production and employment problems. In Aragon, we are not talking about subsistence, but rather we will change the economy of our region. When we see other factories closing, we see today that we are laying the first stone that will destroy Stellantis in Aragon.” The President of Aragon emphasized the functional capacity of this headquarters It provides up to 35,000 indirect jobs and will create another 4,000 direct jobs When it will be at full capacity in the next few years.
The strategic alliance between Spain and China
The Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Herrio, who also attended the opening ceremony, described the event as a “great celebration”, as well as a day when the Spanish and Chinese economies come together to cooperate together in the electrification of the automotive sector.
“We are in a moment of great dimension,” and it is “National project” The Minister highlighted that this project is the result of great cooperation between Spain and China, which are comparing the strategic vision of cooperation in the field of technology, generating an economic ecosystem and working towards a project of cooperation and dialogue.
Likewise, he wanted to thank the cooperation between local and regional administrations with the national government. “I want to thank the cooperation between the local governments, the government of Aragon and the central government. The cooperation of the two governments in order to improve the future of thousands of families,” he reiterated.
While 10% of registrations in Spain are already electrified, the industry chief stated that electrification in Europe and Spain is “irreversible” and valued Stellantis as “the second car manufacturer in Spain and the ninth in the world”.
For his part, the Chinese Ambassador to Spain, Yao Jing, described the investment by Stellantis and CATL “As one of China’s largest investments in European history”. He also expressed that this giant project represents “a major alliance and a very promising future not only for China and Spain, but for the entire European continent.”
The headquarters will have a capacity of up to 50 gigawatt hours and will be ready to be “CO2 neutral,” as 80% of the energy used will be provided by solar panels and wind turbines, according to Contemporary Star System CEO Andy Wu, which have already been installed next to the Figueruelas plant. “We have worked for years to make this possible, and this day represents a building that will be more than just foundations, it will be a company with a shared future and feelings of promoting electricity,” he concluded.