Latest News

Northvolt goes from Europe battery promise to crisis

Sweden's Northvolt said on Thursday it will look for U.S. Chapter 11 insolvency security as the cashstrapped battery start-up seeks to figure out its finances.

The company went in a matter of months this year from being Europe's finest contended a home-grown electric-vehicle battery champion to racing to survive, hobbled by production problems and as moneying ran out.

Northvolt, whose motto is make oil history, has actually received more than $10 billion in equity, debt and public financing, and counts Volkswagen, with a 21% stake, and Goldman Sachs, with a. 19% holding, as its most significant owners.

Here is a timeline of major occasions.

2016-2018. Company established in 2016 as SGF Energy by 2 former Tesla. executives and endeavor company Vargas Holding. It becomes Northvolt in 2017, getting equity financing of $12. million that year and an additional $120 million in 2018. The group in 2017 announces prepares to construct $4 billion. lithium-ion battery gigafactory Northvolt Ett and research. facility Northvolt Labs. It partners with BMW and truck maker. Scania. It says in October 2018 it is establishing a battery systems. factory in Poland.

2019. Volkswagen, BMW and Goldman Sachs are amongst financiers in a $1. billion equity capital raise. Volkswagen takes a stake of about. 20%, becoming the biggest owner, with battery production for the. automaker prepared for late 2023 or early 2024.

2020. Northvolt raises $600 million in equity and $1.6 billion in. debt. BMW indications a 2 billion euro ($ 2.16 billion) contract for. battery cells to be produced from 2024.

2021. Volkswagen puts a 10-year, $14 billion battery cell order with. the company, Northvolt states in March. In the same month it announces the acquisition of. California-based lithium-metal battery start-up Cuberg. Later on that year the group raises $2.75 billion in equity to. fund an expansion of Northvolt Ett, aiming for the plant to. have yearly capability of 60 gigawatt hours, enough for some one. million cars. It likewise establishes the Novo joint venture with Volvo Cars, with. prepare for a 50 GWh factory, and in December announces that it. has actually formed the Aurora lithium joint venture with Portugal's. Galp. The company says in December it has actually put together the very first. lithium-ion battery cell at Northvolt Ett.

2022. Sweden is developing into a battery-making superpower, the. then-industry minister informs news company TT. Northvolt reveals in February prepare for gigafactory Northvolt. Fem in Sweden. This is very first meant to be a battery cell factory,. then an active cathode product plant. It is cancelled in 2024. The group also in 2022 provides the very first battery cells to. clients. It says in July it has raised $1.7 billion in convertible financial obligation. for factory rollouts.

2023. Sources tell Reuters in February that Northvolt prepares to work with. banks for a going public that might take place. within 12 months and value the business at more than $20 billion. The IPO is later delayed. The group says in August it has raised $1.9 billion in. convertible financial obligation to fund expansion in Europe, North America. Northvolt announces plans in September for the $5 billion. Northvolt Six battery plant in the Montreal area of Quebec,. Canada. It touts a $50 billion order book and practically 6,000 staff members.

2024. January - Northvolt inks a $5 billion loan plan to pay for. the second stage of Northvolt Ett, a tripling of capacity. Sweden concerns credit assurances for $1.5 billion of the bundle,. however the money is not paid as construction is stopped. March - In the existence of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz,. Northvolt starts construction of Northvolt Drei in Germany, with. prepared annual production capacity of 60 GWh. The plant wins 900. million euro in subsidies. June - BMW cancels a 2 billion euro battery order signed in. 2020. Sources tell Reuters the factor is that Northvolt can not. provide on time. July - Northvolt introduces a tactical review of its organization,. with the CEO saying the company used up too strongly. August - The group shuts Cuberg in California, concentrating R&D. in Sweden. Sept. 9 - Northvolt says it will focus on battery cell. production. It stops cathode active material production,. effectively shelving plans to end up being end-to-end self-dependent. in the battery-making worth chain. The group says planned battery plants in Canada and Germany may. be delayed. Sept. 16 - Sweden's prime minister says the government will not. take a stake in Northvolt. Sept. 23 - The company reveals layoffs of 1,600 workers in. Sweden and cancels the Northvolt Ett growth, including it will. focus on raising production at the existing plant. Sept. 24 - Northvolt says Northvolt Ett produced a record 60,000. battery cells in one week, a small portion of the plant's. capacity, according to analysts, as production issues continue. Oct. 8 - The Northvolt subsidiary in charge of expanding the. plant in Sweden declare personal bankruptcy with billions of crowns in. unpaid debt. Oct. 9 - The head of Northvolt Ett steps down after 15 months in. the job. Oct. 10 - The company seeks to offer its stockpile of surplus. battery-making materials, sources inform Reuters. Oct. 11 - The group remains in talks with financiers and lending institutions to. safe about 200 million euros in financing, sources tell Reuters,. far less than the $1.4 billion that Swedish media reported. earlier in the year that Northvolt hoped to raise. Oct. 21 - Northvolt says it is making substantial development on. financing. A source tells Reuters the company aims to raise more. than $300 million, which might offer it funds until next year.

Oct. 31 - Volvo Cars states it is

looking for to take complete control

over Swedish battery-making joint endeavor NOVO, as. Northvolt is no longer contributing funds.

Nov. 11 - Northvolt says the head of investments at. Volkswagen is

leaving the group's board

.

Nov. 15 - Northvolt

has actually thought about

seeking U.S. Chapter 11 personal bankruptcy security as one of. a number of possible survival choices, 2 sources acquainted with. the matter informed Reuters.

Nov. 18 - Northvolt has

missed out on

some in-house production targets and has actually cut. production at its plant in northern Sweden, according to. internal company files examined and business. sources.

(source: Reuters)