French authorities have given the go-ahead to Taiwan-based firm ProLogium to start construction of its planned solid-state battery gigafactory in Dunkirk.

The company says it secured the environmental and construction permits in December, following public consultations. With strong support from the French government and stakeholders, the applications were approved in seven months, Kallanish understands.

“This milestone underscores ProLogium’s commitment to clean energy, highlighting its execution capability and leadership in the industry,” a spokesperson says. “Despite challenges in the EV industry, ProLogium has stayed on course, advancing steadily and demonstrating its determination to deliver on its promises.”

Construction is set to start this year, with mass production scheduled for 2027. The €5.2 billion ($5.44 billion) investment announced in May 2023 targets the European EV market. At full capacity, the plant is planned to produce 48-gigawatt-hour of next-generation lithium ceramic batteries.

The company says the project will be built in three phases, reaching full capacity based on market demand. It marks a “pivotal step” in ProLogium’s global expansion and “injects renewed confidence into the global green energy industry,’ the spokesperson adds.

Over 12,000 lithium ceramic battery samples have been delivered to global carmakers for testing and module development. ProLogium says it will provide further updates on the project and its technology qualification process in due course.

With over 900 international patents, including under review, the manufacturer says it offers a range of products to cover different applications. These include a pouch, a flexible, and a large footprint lithium ceramic battery. It has four core technologies, which basically replace the liquid element of lithium-ion batteries.

Its oxide electrolyte technology, for example, uses a composite solid-state electrolyte. This silicon-based battery offers increased energy density, lower manufacturing costs and high stability.

Meanwhile, its proprietary LCB (lithium ceramic battery) technology solves conductivity and brittle issues of oxide electrolytes. Among other advantages, it also enables 5C fast charging. The technology is open for licensing.

ProLogium opened a battery demonstration factory in Taoyuan, Taiwan in 2023, following a pilot line in 2017.