Airbus-style EU battery alliance splits before take-off

(EurActiv, 12 Feb 2018) Initially branded as an Airbus-style consortium, the European battery alliance is more likely to look like a network of smaller industrial and innovation clusters, according to the European Commission vice-president in charge of the Energy Union, one of the main advocates of the project.

The EU joined the global race for battery cell production “a bit late” but it now wants to take a leading role in what the Commission sees as “the holy grail” of clean energy, according to Maroš Šefčovič.

Speaking in Brussels on Monday (12 February), the Commission vice-president in charge of the Energy Union repeated earlier claims that the EU wanted to create an “Airbus of batteries,” saying the situation was “a bit similar to the aviation industry in the 1960s”, when no European company was big enough to take on American competitors.

But he later played down expectations about the creation of an Airbus-style consortium for battery production in Europe, saying the likelihood was that regional centres would emerge based on existing industrial strengths.

“I don’t think we will have one company manufacturing batteries in Europe,” Šefčovič said in reply to a question from EURACTIV about the chances of an Airbus-style company being created.

“What I hope to have would be ten plus giga-factories which will be competitive and delivering high-quality products to global markets,” he said at an event hosted by the permanent representation of Belgium to the EU.

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EurActiv, 12 Feb 2018: Airbus-style EU battery alliance splits before take-off