In the first phase of this EUR 17 million investment project, Volvo Trucks will be assembling some 30,000 battery packs per year in Ghent. Up to six of these packs, each weighing around 500 kilograms, can be fitted in the heavy e-trucks manufactured by the company. The new advanced production activities will kick off right after the summer of 2022 in a specially converted 3,600 m² factory hall. The components and battery cells themselves will not be made in Ghent but supplied by Samsung. 

“By integrating the battery assembly process into our production flow, we can reduce lead times for our customers and ensure high-performance batteries, while increasing circularity,” comments Volvo Trucks President Roger Alm. The company’s batteries are designed in such a way that they can later be remanufactured, reconditioned and reused. Meanwhile, the plant itself runs on 100% renewable energy. 

Volvo Trucks and North Sea Port form a perfect match for various other reasons as well. For starters, the Flanders-based port has made automotive one of the seven focus industries in its strategic plan – with the Ghent-based assembly plants of both Volvo Trucks and Volvo Cars as prominent industrial drivers. These sites generate considerable flows of parts and finished products and therefore a lot of logistics activity as well as employment in and around North Sea Port. 

What’s more, the cross-border port is a major European hub for other automotive brands as well. Its ro-ro lines connect North Sea Port with Scandinavia and the UK, while a major rail connection to China serves as a crucial asset for the distribution activities of automotive players like Honda. 

Learn more about Flanders’ automotive industry and port infrastructure.