![\"Gigafactory\"](\"https:\/\/verkor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/GIGA-300x141.png\")
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Verkor was born of a shared ambition to develop the mobility of tomorrow with a strong conviction that Europe has the key assets to meet the challenge. To achieve its goal, Verkor will build the world\u2019s most modern and efficient Gigafactory<\/strong> by 2024, with a production capacity of 16 GWh of lithium-ion cells per year, which will equip 300,000 electric vehicles and directly create 1,200 jobs.<\/span><\/p>\n The choice of the Gigafactory site was a real challenge for Verkor. Sylvain Paineau<\/strong> (Co-founder and Director of Strategy and Partnerships) and Olivier Dufour<\/strong> (Co-founder and Stakeholder Engagement) look back at the challenges and all the steps that led to the choice of Dunkirk<\/strong>, a strategic location for the Gigafactory.<\/span><\/p>\n >> Press Release<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n SP: <\/span><\/strong>Two key steps led to us choosing this location. The first was when Verkor was founded in July 2020 and the project to build its Gigafactory was conceived, and the second was when our partners were brought in, particularly Renault<\/strong>.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n OD: <\/span><\/strong>We had drawn up an initial specification to select the best location for the Verkor Gigafactory:<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n SP<\/span><\/strong>: With the arrival of Renault (in June 2021), Verkor\u2019s partner and customer, the specifications were shared and optimised, now that we had more detailed knowledge of our needs and schedule: <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n In the first phase, to help Verkor select the ideal site, a standard plant plan was drawn up by the IDEC Group:<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n OD: <\/span><\/strong>We studied some 40 potential sites in Europe for the Verkor Gigafactory. We analysed and studied location options outside of France, in Italy and Spain, where we explored about ten sites.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n In France, we identified potential locations throughout the country in 12 of the 13 French regions.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n OD:<\/span><\/strong> Starting in December 2020, we focused our search on France for several reasons, in particular to benefit from France\u2019s decarbonised energy mix.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n SP:<\/span><\/strong> We were aware that there would be some distance between the VIC, Verkor\u2019s innovation, training and pilot line centre and headquarters which will open in Grenoble this year, and the Gigafactory, and we didn\u2019t want to make that distance any longer by locating the plant outside France, which would complicate its construction. Moreover, we have a large network in France with many customers and partners and therefore a strong link with this French ecosystem.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n SP: <\/span><\/strong>The selection was the result of joint work with the Renault teams and our other partners, based on an analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of the various sites, along with economic, supply chain and logistics aspects, technical feasibility, planning impacts, ecosystems and finally the employment pool. These analyses led us to a short-list of half a dozen potential locations, later narrowed to the three that were submitted to the CNDP in December 2021. <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n The final choice was the Dunkirk site, which met the most criteria, particularly in terms of technical aspects, since the schedule was very restrictive. The two other pre-selected sites in the Seine Maritime and Indre departments had excellent characteristics but also some specific technical issues.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n OD: <\/span><\/strong>Dunkirk is a strategic location for Verkor and has other advantages that were not part of the initial selection criteria. Its location gives Verkor new opportunities with maritime access and an independent site with very large areas that will allow the Gigafactory to expand and thus reach, and potentially exceed, the target of 50 GWh in 2030.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\nFirst challenge: studying potential Gigafactory locations<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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What were the key criteria when choosing the location?<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/h6>\n
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![\"Plan](\"https:\/\/verkor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/PLAN-GIGA-300x211.png\")
<\/p>\nHow many potential sites did you study?<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/h6>\n
Why set up in France?<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/h6>\n
![\"Energy](\"https:\/\/verkor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/7-300x213.png\")
<\/p>\nWhy Dunkirk?<\/strong><\/h4>\n
The advantages of Dunkirk<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/h6>\n
Creating a \u201cBattery Valley\u201d in Northern France<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/h6>\n
![\"Choose](\"https:\/\/verkor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/5-300x213.png\")
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