The Swedish startup Northvolt has confirmed that an essential part of its batteries is sourced from abroad, amid claims that the company, which promotes itself as operating Europe’s first homegrown gigafactory, depends heavily on Chinese suppliers. This information was highlighted in a documentary scheduled to air in Sweden on Wednesday by the national broadcaster SVT, which reveals that Northvolt’s attempts to produce its own cathode active material at its facility in Norrbotten were unsuccessful.
Journalists from the investigative show Uppdrag Granskning interviewed two employees who stated that the company had resorted to importing this critical component from China. Founded in 2016, Northvolt aimed to create “the world’s greenest battery” and was initially celebrated as Europe’s answer to reliance on oil and imported batteries from China. Despite acknowledging the outsourcing of key materials, Northvolt still markets its facility as “Europe’s first homegrown response to the opportunities and needs of an electric world.”
In response to SVT’s inquiries, Northvolt released a statement on its website confirming that “to date, Northvolt has sourced cathode active material for its cell production from external parties” while pursuing in-house production of this material. The company listed China, Japan, South Korea, and Sweden as approved sources.
Northvolt also disclosed that it had temporarily halted cathode production as part of its strategic review. The company insisted that the timing of this information’s release was not connected to the upcoming documentary.
The documentary follows a tumultuous period for Northvolt, which faced production delays and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States in November. Subsequently, co-founder Peter Carlsson stepped down as CEO. Northvolt has since agreed to sell its industrial battery unit in Gdańsk, Poland, to Scania, a Swedish truck manufacturer, for an undisclosed amount.
Northvolt contends that it never promised to be an “all-Swedish battery” manufacturer, but had aimed to initiate its own cathode production, which was put on hold. A spokesperson for the company stated that the documentary does not reveal any significant new information and pointed to previous communications about its cathode material sourcing.
Emma Nehrenheim, Northvolt’s president of battery systems and materials, explained that the company had originally planned to manufacture its own cathode material but adjusted its strategy due to financial and operational constraints. She emphasized that Northvolt remains committed to achieving its sustainability goals and is actively working to improve the supply chain for cathode materials.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/26/homegrown-swedish-battery-startup-admits-importing-vital-components
