Blog post -
Fact sheet about Morrow Batteries and the Morrow Cell Factory
Morrow Batteries ASA
Electrifying Society with Norwegian-Made Batteries
Morrow Batteries (Morrow) is dedicated to accelerating the energy transition with cost-effective and sustainable battery solutions. Our goal is to become a leading European specialist supplier by developing tailored batteries for energy storage, niche sectors, and, eventually, automotive applications.
We leverage our R&D and manufacturing expertise, combined with Norwegian hydropower, to deliver high-performance batteries. Our journey begins with lithium iron phosphate (LFP) technology for energy storage, rail, and special applications before advancing to enhanced LFP and LNMO technologies, continuing to target the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) sector while also moving into the mobility sector. This stepwise approach will enable us to supply the rapidly growing BESS market and meet the increasing demand for electric and commercial vehicle batteries.
Strategically located in Southern Norway, we have easy access to the European market and integrate with local ecosystems, co-locating with suppliers and partners to improve sustainability and efficiency.
Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Arendal, Norway, Morrow Batteries employs a diverse team of 200 professionals in Norway and Germany. Our company is proudly owned by Å Energi, ABB, Siemens, PKA, NOAH, and Nysnø.
Imagine tomorrow powered by us.
Key facts:
CEO: Mr. Lars Christian Bacher
Chair of the Board: Ms. Liv Monica Stubholt
Founded: 2020
Co-Founders: Dr. Rahul Fotedar, Mr. Pål Brun, Mr. Bård Karlsen and Mr. Jon Fold von Bülow
Employees: 200 professionals from 34 nationalities
Locations: Morrow Research Centre in Grimstad, Morrow Cell Factory and Morrow Development Centre in Arendal, and offices in Arendal (HQ) and Oslo.
To learn more, visit morrowbatteries.com and connect with us on LinkedIn @MorrowBatteries.
Morrow Cell Factory (MCF)
- The Morrow Cell Factory (MCF) is the first gigafactory for LFP in Europe.
- The factory is owned by Siva - the Industrial Development Corporation of Norway.
- Location: Eyde Energy Park, 11 minutes from the deep-sea Port of Arendal.
- The Cornerstone ceremony was held in September 2022 with Prime Minister Mr Jonas Gahr Støre.
- Factory design: Dr. Andreas Maier, Chief Operating Officer of Morrow Batteries.
- Construction company: Veidekke.
FACTS & FIGURES
- Area of building: ~ 33.000 sqm (incl chemical warehouse and mezzanines).
- Land area: 60.000 sqm (the equivalent of 12 football courts).
- 9.500 sqm dry room.
- Heights: High part 20 metres, low part 14 metres, admin building 4 metres.
- More than 366.000 working hours, or 200 man-years, were required to install the dry room, utilities, and production equipment.
- 1.650 people have completed mandatory HSE training during the construction period.
- No severe accidents occurred during construction or equipment installation.
- MCF will employ approximately 150 people working on a shift schedule.
- Roles include Process engineers, Production engineers, Operators, Plant engineers, Maintenance technicians, Quality engineers, HSE, Logistics and Facility management.
CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE
- Aug 2022: Contract with Veidekke signed
- Sep 2022: Groundwork started
- Jan 2023: First building construction above ground
- Jun 2023: Sealed building (walls and roof installed)
- Aug 2023: Start installation of dry room
- Nov 2023: Start installation of production equipment
- Mar 2024: Start of system acceptance tests
- Q4 2024: Start ramp-up of production
THE LAST MILE
Morrow has invested in world-class manufacturing equipment, primarily sourced from South Korea and China. Supply chain and logistics have been critical in setting up the factory. Below are key facts and figures to illustrate this enormous operation:
- Weight of production equipment (from China/Korea only): 25.553 tons
- 1.250 TEUs (twenty-foot container equivalent units)
- 3.050 TEUs, including “lost slots” due to oversized cargo
- 700 truck trips from Port of Arendal to the site
- 6.000 unique packages being tracked to their final destination in the factory building
Numbers related to just the shipment and unpacking of manufacturing equipment (excluding construction work by Veidekke):
- 1.500 trucks have unloaded cargo on the factory site (equalling 45.000 euro-pallets).
- 600 truckloads of waste from the installation process were sent for recycling from the MCF.
- 6.500 registered hours of forklift operations and 1.600 crane operations to install the manufacturing equipment.
THE CUSTOMER QUALIFICATION LINE - FROM SOUTH KOREA TO ARENDAL
While constructing the Morrow Cell Factory in Arendal, Morrow established a Customer Qualification Line (CQL) in Chungju-si, South Korea, to develop and produce LFP samples.
- Operational for 16 months, the CQL was a versatile development asset, enabling advanced product development, production, and qualification of customer samples. It also facilitated training engineers and operators close to the equipment suppliers.
- During this period, Morrow shipped LFP samples to several potential customers for testing and validation, achieving significant improvements in product performance.
- Starting in March this year, the CQL was disassembled and shipped to Arendal. Once reassembled, it will be renamed the Morrow Development Centre (MDC) and will have its dedicated area within the Morrow Cell Factory.
- This facility will employ approximately 20 people, including operational and development experts. They will focus on optimising processes and products, developing next-generation batteries, and qualifying battery cells to meet customer specifications. These cells can then be produced commercially in the Morrow Cell Factory.
