Portugal has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese company CALB to build a battery plant for electric cars in Sines. This was announced by Economy Minister Antonio Costa Silva, who confirmed, Wednesday, in Parliament, the government’s plan to negotiate an international investment for the first giant factory in Portugal.
The remarks were made during the minister’s response to MPs during a hearing on the state budget for 2023 and although the promoter, China Aviation Lithium Battery Technology (CALB), had not been identified, he had already notified local authorities that on November 3, he signed a memorandum of understanding with the company. It is controlled by the Portuguese Agency for Investment and Foreign Trade (AICEP), responsible for attracting foreign investment, and which operates the Sines Industrial and Logistics Zone (ZILS).
According to the company’s latest report, AICEP Global Parques, it has an industrial park of 2,375 hectares in the municipality, and ZILS has industrial installation areas and service areas.
Thus, Chinese investors in Sines will be able to build a battery plant for electric cars, a project that, according to the minister, will allow the country to complete the entire value chain in the field of lithium, which can supply the main Portuguese factories that assemble cars in the country, namely Volkswagen Autoropa, in Palmilla, Stellants, in Mangualdi, and Mercedes in Tramgale.
The information, now confirmed, was already provided last week by the mayor of Sines Nuno Mascarenhas. At the time, in statements to Lusa, on November 3, the official said Sinnis was one of the hypotheses. “It’s one of CALB’s signature locations, where we have all the conditions here, but it’s just a first intent,” he said.
On the same day, CALB released a file report In which it refers to the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding “Acquisition of Surface Rights with the Intent to Create a Zero Carbon, World Class, Intelligent, Computerized and Automated Plant” in the country.
On the subject, Costa e Silva noted: “Sines can be a green shipping hub, and I am absolutely convinced that green hydrogen, ammonia and methanol are the fuels that will fuel marine fleets in the future, and if Sines stands by with all these investments, it will be absolutely decisive. In addition to all this, one of the major investments is being made by a large global battery company, which wants to manufacture batteries in Sense.(…) If this happens, with all the work we do, with Volkswagen, Stelantis, Mercedes and other brands We want to be a country at the forefront of electric mobility. These are complex negotiations, but we are moving forward.”
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