Earlier in November, the Slovak government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Gotion InoBat Batteries (GIB), a joint venture between China’s first enterprise in the power battery industry to enter the capital market, Gotion High-Tech and InoBat, regarding the construction of a battery factory in Šurany.
In the memorandum, GIB committed to starting the construction of the factory in 2024 and the government of Slovakia will arrange the land, prepare the construction site and ensure the connection to the electrical grid. The Šurany factory will be located in a 65-hectare area and will create thousands of jobs. In the initial development stage, it will have a capacity of 20 gigawatt-hours (GWh), but it has the potential to reach a capacity of up to 40 GWh. The targeted start of production is in the second quarter of 2026 and full-scale production is scheduled for 2027.
“Foreign investments are a necessary catalyst for our economy,” said Prime Minister Robert Fico, considering the trust of investors in selecting a location as evidence that Slovakia is returning to the map of economically attractive countries. “They bring not only capital but also job opportunities and technological innovations. Our government guarantees a stable and predictable political and legal environment and professionalism in governing the country. The arrival of foreign investments, job creation, technological transfer and capital inflow into the country are, therefore, a direct confirmation of mutual trust.”
“Assisting in the construction of the gigafactory in Šurany fulfils the purpose of the partnership between the state and an innovative, cutting-edge and, above all, global company with roots in Slovakia,” added the Minister of Economy, Denisa Saková. “Thanks to it, we have the opportunity to shine again on the map of countries with technologically advanced industries, with battery production for electric vehicles going hand in hand with a strong tradition of automotive manufacturing that we have in Slovakia.”
The Chairman of Gotion High-Tech Li Zhen said that the new energy era has arrived and electrochemical energy storage is the mainstay of the energy storage transition.
“Supported by the government of the Slovak Republic and InoBat, Gotion aspires to establish this project as the foremost advanced battery manufacturing base and zero-carbon factory in Europe and even globally,” he underlined.