In Europe, automobile manufacturers are strongly urged to transition to electric vehicles (EVs) due to the strict environmental regulations of the EU, and are encouraged to procure the crucial batteries within the EU territory from the perspective of economic security. As if responding to this, Northvolt AB (Swedish company established in 2016, hereinafter referred to as the company), says in its website, “In 2017, we announced a bold and simple plan: to enable the future of energy by developing the world’s greenest battery cell and establish a European supply of batteries.” Since then, the company has actively invested in research and development, manufacturing facilities, and circular manufacturing plants as well. In the field of product development, they have successfully developed state of the art sodium-ion batteries, which are at the forefront of the era alongside lithium batteries. They have also initiated a battery recycling program that converts old batteries into raw materials for new batteries, as literally indicated by the phrase "making batteries from batteries." Quoting the company's text that describes its innovative manufacturing spirit is as follows. ———————————- Powering a revolution At Northvolt, we’re developing a sustainable manufacturing base for an industrial revolution that defines humanity’s greatest challenge – eliminating its dependance on fossil fuels. All under one roof We’re re-writing the playbook on what it means to be a battery manufacturer by ****adopting a wide spectrum of battery supply chain activities in-house. With this vertically integrated approach we’re aiming to produce the most sustainable batteries in the world. Beyond manufacturing, we’ve invested deeply into software and digital competences. And we’re deploying these throughout our activities to build better, smarter, cleaner battery solutions. ————————————- Just as there is the term "fair trade," which highlights the existence of unfair and inequitable transactions throughout the supply chain from raw materials to finished products, fair trade has become a global outcry to rectify these injustices. In this regard, the text following the "Powering a revolution" would convey the company's strong and steadfast determination. Finally, I would like to close this article by introducing the company's 2030 target values stated on its website's homepage: "Reduced footprint: 90% less CO2 compared to cells made using coal power by 2030" and "Capacity: Northvolt's target for lithium-ion cell installed capacity of 150GWh by 2030". We look forward to the company's continued success, which demonstrates a strong commitment to contributing to the creation of a sustainable society through environmentally friendly and sustainable product manufacturing. (AS)
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