Frequently affected by blackouts and irregular power supply due to the continued Russian attacks, Ukraine is in direct need of stable power to continue to protect its civilian population and maintain the security of Ukrainian society. The country aims to build a distributed BESS grid.
Potential deliveries under the agreement may reach GWh levels, although the exact volumes are yet to be agreed. Ukraine has a significant need for batteries over the next years to help stabilise its energy system.
“Securing stable power supply is important for Ukraine, and President Zelensky has defined it as a task for the government to establish energy storage facilities in every school and hospital as soon as possible. This underlines the need to build a strong battery value chain in Europe. Access to batteries produced by European vendors is a critical factor for building less vulnerable grids and ensuring batteries for mobile solutions”, says Head of SAEE Anna Zamazeeva.
The need is urgent, and the parties will therefore work closely to mature the MoU agreement as soon as possible. The final contract will be awarded based on future autonomous negotiations and may involve external financial donors, scientific research institutions and organizations, government and other funds.
Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery cells will be produced at the recently opened Morrow Cell Factory in Arendal, Norway, and at Morrow’s next factory in Arendal, the Eyde I gigafactory.
“We experience increasing demand for our LFP battery cells suited for both the BESS and commercial vehicles markets. This demand is driven by the need for independent suppliers and European sourcing in a world affected by increased geopolitical uncertainty and indeed war, as well as the transition from fossil to green energy sources”, says Morrow CEO Lars Christian Bacher.
Morrow Batteries has produced thousands of cells at its Customer Qualification Line (CQL) and has since November last year shipped LFP samples to potential customers for testing and validation. The company can now deliver a commercially viable, thoroughly tested, competitive LFP product. Morrow will begin production from its first gigafactory in Arendal, Norway, in the second half of 2024 and start mass production in the fourth quarter.
