The Chinese lithium-ion battery manufacturer Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. (CATL) broke ground on a new lithium-ion battery production base in Yichun, east China’s Jiangxi Province.

According to the company, the first phase of the project involves an investment of 13.5 billion yuan (around $2.1 billion) to build a 50 GWh lithium-ion battery production base.

50 GWh of annual lithium-ion battery production is a big plant, but as we understand, it might be further expanded if needed. The type of battery chemistry was not announced in the press release.

“It will become an important part of CATL’s global layout upon its completion, help the city build a new energy industry system of “lithium resources-lithium-ion battery materials-power batteries-electric vehicles,” and develop it into a sustainable lithium-ion battery hub in Asia.”

The location of the plant in Yichun is not accidental, as – according to Gasgoo – it has “the world’s largest reserve of lepidolite, the most abundant lithium-bearing mineral, amounting to around 2.5 million tons of proven lithium oxide.”

This is why Yichun recently attracted also another battery manufacturer – Gotion High-Tech – which started construction in May 2021 and is expected to launch production at the end of 2022.

With an additional 50 GWh/year, CATL is investing heavily to remain the largest lithium-ion EV battery manufacturer in the world. According to previous reports, the company might invest a total of $9 billion in several new plants.

CATL is a supplier to Tesla, NIO and a very high number of Chinese and abroad electric car manufacturers. Its offer includes high-energy dense NCM batteries, affordable LFP batteries as well as some innovative sodium-ion types and hybrid packs, as well as cell-to-pack technology for prismatic cells.