(Yicai Global) Dec. 22 -- The first batch of mass-produced battery cells made abroad by China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology have rolled off the production line at its factory in Germany, the battery giant's first overseas plant.

The lithium-ion battery cells were made at CATL’s plant in Thuringia, the Ningde-based company said on its official WeChat account yesterday. The installation and commissioning of the remaining lines are in full swing ahead of a production ramp-up.

The cells passed all of CATL's global product tests, proving that the firm can start supplying its European customers from the plant, which is known as Contemporary Amperex Technology Thuringia, it added.

“The production kickoff proves that we kept our promise to our customers as a reliable partner of the industry and we stay committed to Europe's e-mobility transition even under very challenging conditions like the pandemic,” said Matthias Zentgraf, CATL’s Europe president. “We are working hard to ramp up production to full capacity, which is our top priority for the coming year." 

CATL broke ground at the plant in 2019. With a total investment of EUR1.8 billion (USD1.9 billion), the firm plans a production capacity of 14 gigawatt-hours, while creating 2,000 local jobs.

The plant has two buildings. G1 was bought from another company and has been used to assemble battery cells into modules since the third quarter of 2021, while the newly-built G2 is where the cells are made.

Editor: Futura Costaglione