Two high-profile battery manufacturing projects have been canceled, reflecting the challenges two companies face in the competitive and capital-intensive clean energy sector.
Freyr Battery has officially abandoned its plans for a $2.6 billion battery manufacturing facility in Coweta County, Georgia. The project, announced in 2022 as Giga America, was expected to create over 700 jobs and deliver 34 GWh of battery capacity in its first phase.
Freyr is now focusing on solar module manufacturing in Texas after acquiring a 5 GW solar facility from Trina Solar for $340 million, the company said in a statement.
Freyr announced Monday that it selected Austin, Texas, to relocate its headquarters and sold the 368-acre Georgia property. It added, “This announcement coincides with the ongoing ramp of production at FREYR’s G1 solar module facility in Wilmer, Texas, which already employs more than 1,000 people across the Wilmer and Dallas communities.”
Daniel Barcelo, FREYR’s Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, said in a statement, “As we move forward with our strategy to build an integrated American solar + storage manufacturing network, we intend to bring more than 1,000 new American jobs to the Texas economy.”
Rendering of the Freyr Battery plant project in Coweta County, Ga. The company abandoned plans to build the facility and selected Austin, Texas, as the location of its new headquarters. Image: Freyr Battery
Idaho-based KORE Power has scrapped its plans for a $1.25 billion lithium-ion battery factory in Buckeye, Arizona. Known as the KOREPlex, the 2-million-square-foot campus was projected to create 3,000 jobs and produce up to 12 GWh annually, the Phoenix Business Journal reported.
Kore Power had planned to manufacture batteries for EVs and battery storage systems. The company has since listed the project site for sale and announced leadership changes, with CEO Lindsay Gorrill stepping down. KORE stated that it is restructuring to better position itself for long-term success.
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