Basquevolt inaugurates its new Innovation Centre CIB

Basquevolt has officially inaugurated its new "Basquevolt Innovation Centre CIB" in an official ceremony presided over by the President of the Basque Government, Mr. Iñigo Urkullu and the company´s investment partners.

The Lehendakari was accompanied by other authorities, such as the Deputy General of Alava, Ramiro González, the Mayoress of Vitoria, Maider Etxebarria and the Regional Minister for Economic Development, Arantxa Tapia, among others. The opening ceremony was also attended by representatives of the company´s investors: SPRI Group, Iberdrola, Enagás, EIT InnoEnergy, CIC energiGUNE and CDTI Centre for the Development of Technology and Innovation from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.

The ceremony was held as part of the company´s first anniversary which, as Mr. Iñigo Urkullu pointed out in his speech before unveiling the commemorative plaque, is marked by "highly positive results (…) a transformative initiative that impacts on all global challenges: digital, energy, climate and social." The company CEO, Francisco Carranza, also stressed that "today´s inauguration represents an important milestone for BASQUEVOLT and reaffirms our position as a pioneer in the European solid-state battery industry".

After the ceremony, the guests enjoyed a guided tour of the new facilities, which included the recently opened R&D Laboratory Rooms (Wet Lab and Dry Lab), where the batteries and electrolyte are tested and assembled, as well as the prototype line (currently under construction) and where the first prototype battery is expected to be manufactured at the end of this year.

The inauguration of the "Basquevolt Innovation Center CIB " is a further milestone reached in the roadmap to design the Basquevolt cell, which will be able to potentially reduce the cost of the battery by 30%, increase the energy storage capacity by 50% and extend the range of the electric vehicle from 500 to 750 kilometres.

An ambitious project for which the center located in Vitoria is gathering some of the best professionals in the global battery industry.