After almost two years of waiting and uncertainty, on 12 July the interministerial decree (Mise-Mef) was published in the “Gazzetta” which gives the green light to the use of the 1.7 billion fund to support the Ipcei (Important projects of common European interest). Over 500 million will go to the Seri Industrial group’s lithium battery factory in Teverola where 625 hires are expected from mid-2023.
This is an important piece of the puzzle that is taking shape in these days and which sees Central and Southern Italy as the protagonist of the ecological transition process, with the Stellantis factory in Melfi which will be the first platform of the Franco-Italian group for production of electric cars (see the article on the opposite page), with the Termoli plant in Molise for the assembly of lithium batteries (the article opposite) and with the Teverola di Seri plants where the entire production cycle: from lithium cells, to modules, to batteries. This transition is about to have a further push from the EU Commission with the new measures including the one that sets in 2035 the year in which the production of thermal engines will cease.
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The Seri Industrial project had already received 100% financing authorization from the EU in 2019, but, to get the investment started, an entirely internal process within Italy was necessary. Now, after the inter-ministerial decree that initiates the IPCEI – and which allows the State to disburse the non-repayable loan – the last activation decree for the individual investment is awaited.
Meanwhile, Fib, controlled by the Seri group (with a turnover of 150 million in 2020 and 800 employees), at the end of March inaugurated a first plant for the production of lithium cells and batteries in Teverola (Caserta). The plant has a maximum production capacity of 330MWh / year of lithium batteries. Teverola 1, as the active plant is defined, today has a workforce of about 90 people. Here the battaerie are produced for the industrial, transport, naval, storage and military use sectors.
These days, a revision of the industrial plan is being studied at Seri Industrial, which will take into account the approval now obtained for the Ipcei Teverola 2 as well. ‘estimated maximum production of 7-8 GWh. The Company estimates that it will be able to build the plant within 24 months of the issuance of the decree and to produce, at maximum production capacity, within the first half of the year 2024. The Gigafactory will have to deal with research, development and industrialization of cells, modules and new generation lithium batteries and the program for the recycling of lithium accumulators at the end of their life. And it will have to link up with the other European Ipcei. In this way, Europe wanted to aim for autonomy in the production of cells that are still imported from Asia today. «The investment in Teverola will make our company make an important dimensional leap», they say in the company.