In 2023, Upstream Ett in Bergsbyn's industrial area will get a bigger sibling, Upstream Two.
The current largest building in Bergsbyn's industrial area is Upstream Ett, measuring approximately 250 x 120 x 35 meters. Upstream Två is planned to be around the same depth and height but about 400 meters long.
In the Upstream buildings, active material is produced by mixing raw materials such as lithium, nickel, manganese, and cobalt to enable the battery to store energy.
Upstream Ett currently services the first two production blocks with a total capacity of up to 16 GWh.
Upstream Två is the foundation for the three upcoming production blocks that will be able to produce up to a total of 44 GWh. Along with the start of construction, the new modular homes at Solbacken will also be accommodation for construction workers, according to Northvolt.
– Many of the homes there are for our continued expansion and partly for those who will build Upstream Två. We want to offer housing space there," says Sanna.
Sanna Bäckström, communicator at Northvolt Ett, walks by Torsgatan. In the background you can see some of the modular offices that have moved and the Upstream One building, which now has a bigger sibling, Upstream Two.
Construction work has begun on Upstream Two, and the site preparation includes relocating modular offices.
Some of these have been moved just outside the fence of Northvolt Ett, while a new large area for modular offices has been created on the other side of Torsgatan, a few hundred meters from the main entrance.
Meanwhile, machines are being installed in the Revolt Ett recycling factory and the design phase is underway for Northvolt's future headquarters. Northvolt Ett is now approaching 1,700 employees.
A completely new area of modular offices is now emerging on the other side of Torsgatan, a hundred meters east of the main entrance to Northvolt Ett.
The company is still secretive about production in the first two blocks in Skellefteå. The first cell was produced there during the Christmas holidays in 2021.
– Since May 2022, we have had production for end customers. Delivery is by truck," says Sanna.
CEO Peter Carlsson has said that the goal is for the first two blocks to be fully operational around the turn of the year 2024/2025. Full production would then be an annual production of 16 GWh of batteries.
Peter Carlsson, CEO of Northvolt.
According to an interview in the Financial Times with Peter Carlsson, production has picked up pace and the ambition is for production to increase by "several" GWh in 2024 compared to 2023. Each GWh corresponds to enough power for about 17,000 cars. At full production, Northvolt's Skellefteå factory would be able to supply battery cells for one million cars annually.
