New battery manufacturer with European software: GAZ Energy builds factory in Czech Republic

Europe is getting a new battery manufacturer: GAZ Energy. In the eastern Czech city of Bohumín, near the Polish border, a new production facility for battery storage solutions is being established. The chemical company Bochemie and the battery manufacturer GAZ GmbH are working together with energy trading firm Second Foundation to set up an integration line for containerised batteries. Stephan Lehrke, head of Second Foundation Germany, confirmed the project in an interview with pv magazine.

Second Foundation acquired significant stake in Bochemie. The German-named “Geräte- und Akkumulatorenwerk Zwickau” or GAZ is a well-known brand for nickel-cadmium batteries, traditionally used as backup power sources for critical infrastructure in the energy and telecom sectors. The three companies are jointly investing in a production line to assemble lithium-ion battery storage solutions intended for storing electricity from renewable energy sources.

The aim is to produce large-format container batteries. The battery cells and packs will be sourced from China. At present, the 314 ampere-hour cells come from CATL and are assembled into packs by Hyperstrong. However, contracts with other cell suppliers are also possible. The software, control, and management systems will be developed in Europe, specifically by Second Foundation.

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