Valmet Automotive plans to launch volume production of EV batteries in Salo, Finland

Valmet Automotive is planning to launch large scale production of battery packs in Salo, Finland. The implementation is being discussed with the city of Salo and Salo IoT Campus, targeting for the production launch during 2019. Salo offers available technology knowhow, labor and infrastructure for battery production. The planned production employs hundreds of employees.

Valmet Automotive is actively expanding its operations and service offering in electric mobility solutions, based on the company strategy. The Salo plant is intended as a major step in strategy implementation, producing large volumes of battery packs for the needs of automotive industry.

The immediate objective is to reach an agreement with Salo IoT Campus, allowing Valmet Automotive to set the plant in a building at the Salo IoT Campus area, previously used for mobile phone production. The battery plant is estimated to employ more than 300 persons, including a large number of white collar workers. Valmet Automotive intends to start white collar recruitments as soon as possible.

– Valmet Automotive’s plans to launch volume production of batteries in Finland have progressed rapidly. Salo’s heritage in production of electronic devices offers world class engineering and production knowhow as well as infrastructure for our needs, says Mr. Olaf Bongwald, CEO, Valmet Automotive.

– Valmet Automotive’s strategy responds to the rapidly changing needs of the automotive industry. Plans for the Salo plant reflect our intention to become a major player in the field of electric vehicle solutions, and the plant would also be a major milestone in the development of the Finnish battery cluster, says Mr. Jarkko Sairanen, Chairman of the Board, Valmet Automotive.

Valmet Automotive is an experienced provider of automotive engineering, vehicle manufacturing, EV and convertible roof systems. Our special areas of expertise are premium cars, electric vehicles and convertibles. We employ 6,000 professionals in Finland, Germany, Poland and Spain.