European gigafactory company Northvolt has signed a US$1.1 billion convertible note to finance the expansion of its lithium-ion battery production, ahead of a potential IPO in the next two years.

New sodium-ion battery production facilities have been announced in the US and Sweden by Natron Energy and Altris, respectively, with both set to start production in 2023.

Polarium, a Swedish manufacturer of lithium-ion based battery energy storage systems (BESS) technology, has been valued at over a billion dollars.

EV batteries made by Mercedes-Benz will be given a new lease of life in stationary energy storage systems (ESS). 

Swedish public utility Vattenfall has opened its Energypark Haringvliet in the Netherlands, which combines wind, solar and a 12MWh battery energy storage system (BESS).

Sweden’s largest electric vehicle (EV) truck charging park will be completed later this year with a 2MW battery energy storage system (BESS) and, approvals permitting, 500kW of connected solar, the CEO of the haulier behind it has exclusively told Energy-storage.news.

The first lithium-ion battery cells have been produced at Northvolt’s new gigafactory in Sweden and a UK sodium-ion battery startup has been acquired by the solar subsidiary of India’s Reliance Industries.

China has once again been ranked top for involvement in the global lithium-ion battery supply chain by BloombergNEF, but for the first time the US has come in second amid a policy rush to support the domestic industry. 

Northvolt has announced an expansion to its R&D centre in Sweden which will turn the facility into “Europe’s leading campus for battery technologies”.

ROUNDUP: News in brief from around the world in energy storage.