Taiwanese battery maker ProLogium has chosen Dunkirk, France, for its first gigafactory outside of its home market. In a statement on May 15, the group said it will invest €5.2bn in the facility in northern France in an attempt to “put down roots in Europe” and “facilitate supply chain localisation.”

The project is expected to create 3000 direct and 12,000 indirect jobs, and is scheduled to start production by the end of 2026. ProLogium also plans to establish a research and development centre in France as part of its localisation efforts.

France beat competition from Germany and the Netherlands for the gigafactory. According to Reuters, Gilles Normand, ProLogium executive vice-president, said the French government sweetened the deal with financial incentives without giving further details.

Germany seals Northvolt gigafactory deal

On May 12, Sweden’s Northvolt confirmed it is moving ahead with plans to establish a gigafactory in the northern German town of Heide after the federal and state governments pledged financial support for the project. 

The €4bn project, which will have an annual capacity of 60 gigawatt hours and is expected to start production in 2026, was first announced in March 2022. But since then, Europe’s electric vehicle battery darling has spoken about its focus on expanding in the US, which sparked concerns it may suspend its German plans.

The government support — the value of which has not been announced — is still subject to state aid approval by the European Commission.

APM Terminals pledges €962m to Brazil

Dutch port operator APM Terminals has pledged to invest €962m in Brazil by 2026. The Hague-headquartered group, which is owned by shipping giant Maersk, announced the news on May 12.

The fresh capital will go towards developing a new terminal at the Suape Port and its existing operations at Brasil Terminal Portuário in Santos, which is just outside the country’s most populous city São Paolo. The remainder will go towards its other terminals and island depots. 

The investments, which will be made by 2026, help the group satisfy its plans to multiply storage capacity fivefold at its inland container depots in the Northeast and Southeast of the country.

And finally: Taiwan’s Foxconn, one of Apple’s biggest suppliers, is investing more than $500m in its new factory in Telangana, India, the state’s IT minister K.T. Rama Rao tweeted on May 15.