ElringKlinger secures IPCEI funding for innovative battery cell housing design

• The funding will enable ElringKlinger to develop innovative battery cell housing components and get them ready for industrial-scale production
• The German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and the state of Baden-Württemberg will provide a total of EUR 33.8 million by the end of 2026
• Dr. Stefan Wolf, CEO of ElringKlinger AG: "With our innovative battery cell housing design, we want to make a lasting contribution toward climate-neutral battery cell manufacture in Europe."

Dettingen/Erms (Germany), April 27, 2021 +++ ElringKlinger AG's project to develop innovative battery cell housing components and get them ready for industrial-scale production is to be funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) and the state of Baden-Württemberg as part of the second European large-scale IPCEI (Important Project of Common European Interest) for battery technology. Thomas Bareiß, Parliamentary State Secretary at the BMWi, and Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut, Minister of Economic Affairs of the State of Baden-Württemberg, presented Dr. Stefan Wolf, CEO of ElringKlinger AG, with the official funding approval earlier today. The small-scale ceremony at the chamber of commerce and industry in Reutlingen was held behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic, although the speeches, the presentation of the official approval, and the subsequent panel debate were live-streamed on the BMWi website for journalists and the general public.

The second battery IPCEI, entitled "European Battery Innovation - EuBatIn," is being coordinated by Germany. It was approved by the European Commission in late January 2021, at the same time as the companies involved were also announced. All in all, twelve EU countries are providing up to EUR 2.9 billion in funding to develop a European value chain for battery production. ElringKlinger is one of only eleven German companies to obtain funding of this kind as part of the EuBatIn program.

ElringKlinger's project is geared toward the development and industrial-scale production of innovative battery cell housing components and stands to receive a total of EUR 33.8 million in funding by the end of 2026. The innovative design of the cell lid allows fewer and less complex components to be used and reduces the need for energy-intensive raw materials such as aluminum and copper. The cell lid ensures that power is transmitted into and out of the cell via its poles. ElringKlinger's innovative concept means that up to a quarter of the components can be eliminated in full, reducing the amount of manufacturing work and materials required and thus shrinking the product's carbon footprint by around 40 percent.

Dr. Stefan Wolf, CEO of ElringKlinger AG, comments: "In the project for which we've secured funding, we're putting our core skills such as forming and injection molding, coating technologies and toolmaking to targeted use in order to develop a battery cell housing design and manufacture it on an industrial scale. Building on the insights and experience we've gained, we not only want to harness the market potential for cell housings in Europe but also to make a lasting contribution to European climate-neutral battery cell production."

Thomas Bareiß, Parliamentary State Secretary at the BMWi, adds: "With the battery IPCEIs, the battery value chain in Europe is continuing to take shape. As well as cell manufacture, however, it's also about components like battery housings or the production machinery for batteries. With its IPCEI project, ElringKlinger will be helping to create a competitive value chain for the European battery industry by developing an innovative cell housing design and getting it ready for industrial-scale production. A project like this is a source of pride: the company is opening up new areas of business, thus securing value creation and jobs in the region, particularly at this time of major technological change."

Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut, Minister of Economic Affairs of the State of Baden-Württemberg, also underlines the importance of a battery industry: "Battery technology is a key technology for the future that will be absolutely indispensable in all areas of industrial value creation. We want to be covering around 30 percent of global demand for battery cells from German and European production by 2030. Baden-Württemberg is also to play a leading role in this area and adopt a vital position along the whole of the value chain. Thanks to ElringKlinger's IPCEI project, we're a big step closer to achieving this goal."

In the battery technology segment, ElringKlinger's product range includes components such as cell contact systems, module connectors, and pressure equalizers. The Group has been manufacturing cell contact systems on an industrial scale for around ten years now. Besides components, ElringKlinger also offers high-performance prismatic and cylindrical modules as well as complete battery systems. Its first orders for series production are currently in the pre-production phase.