Sunlight Group: New investments of 100 million euros in Xanthi
The company increases its production capacity in lead-acid batteries to 9GWh.
Sunlight Group Energy Storage Systems (Sunlight Group), a technology company specializing in innovative industrial electrification solutions and energy storage systems, announces the increase of its lead-acid battery production capacity to 9GWh per year.
The investments amount to €100m and boost the company's production, which is expected to exceed the initial target of 5.3GWh and establish Sunlight as the largest producer of lead-acid traction batteries worldwide.
• Investments of €100 million to increase the production capacity of lead-acid batteries for industrial electrification
• Optimizing operational efficiency, customer service, and ensuring business continuity
• The investment plan is supported by corresponding investments in recycling and strategic acquisitions for verticalization in materials and components
The €100 million is invested in infrastructure for the Sunlight Group industrial complex in Xanthi.
The additions will increase the facilities housing the production of lead-acid traction elements to exceed 50,000 sq.m. These include three autonomous production units that will operate in three separate buildings.
This enhances operational efficiency while ensuring business continuity and the top quality of Sunlight's products.
In addition, the €100 million investment includes investments to further upgrade the Xanthi complex into a "smart" factory, with the application of Industry 4.0 technologies (automation, robotic systems, AI, Machine Learning, IoT), throughout the production process .
This upgrade is already underway since March 2022. The first stage is expected to be completed by November 2022 and is expected to increase Sunlight Group's production capacity to approximately 6GWh per year.
The second stage of the upgrade will be implemented from February to November 2023 and upon completion, Sunlight Group will increase its production capacity of lead-acid traction batteries to 9GWh per year.
In addition to enhancing the production of lead-acid cells in Xanthi, Sunlight is also investing in increasing the capacity of the forming and assembly plant operating in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA. Production capacity for integrated lead-acid batteries is 1.2GWh per year, with a target of 2GWh.
In addition, production expansion is already underway at the Sunlight European Battery Assembly (SEBA) facility in Verona, Italy, to increase annual production of fully assembled batteries to 4.5GWh by January 2023 – making SEBA the largest assembly plant of its kind in the world.
For more information about The Sunlight Group, visit the website: www.the-sunlight-group.com
