ACC renews its partnership with Equans for the second production block of its battery gigafactory in Billy-Berclau Douvrin.
Yann Vincent, CEO of ACC – Automotive Cells Company, and Pierre Hardouin, CEO of Equans France, formalised a new contract strengthening their partnership in the service of electric mobility at ACC’s battery plant in Billy-Berclau / Douvrin. Following the success of its first production block with an annual production capacity of 13 GWh, inaugurated in May 2023, ACC is currently piloting the construction of a new unit to double its production capacity by 2026. The Equans France teams, who are already leading the consortium in charge of the anhydrous rooms with IAQ for the first block, are fully mobilised to meet this new challenge and design a high-performance, safe and energy-efficient industrial environment.
Equans France was responsible for building the clean and anhydrous rooms (HVAC and electrical engineering, ventilation and pipework) for the first production block at the ACC plant in Billy-Berclau / Douvrin, as well as the terminal distribution of the fluids required for its equipment. On this first unit, Equans also took advantage of the work carried out on a patent filed to control the treatment of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) vapours, an organic solvent used in the production of lithium-ion battery cathodes. This innovative solution covers the integration, design, production and commissioning of these advanced technologies. Typical of gigafactories, this industrial process involves recovering and recycling these substances in order to reduce the environmental impact and optimise the energy performance of production.
Equans will also continue to connect process equipment to the various extraction networks. Known as hook-up exhaust, this expertise is essential to ensure the protection of people and the quality of the end product. In practical terms, it ensures the removal and treatment of heat, dust and solvents generated at each stage of battery manufacture, from the mixing phase of the pastes applied to the cathode and anode strips, through to coating, calendering, notching, stacking and battery assembly.
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Sensitive to all forms of water in the air, batteries and all their components require perfectly sealed and controlled work areas, also known as anhydrous rooms, to guarantee the integrity of the atmosphere. Hygrometry and temperature must therefore be controlled down to the last degree using homogeneous air sweeping systems. Equans’ experts will once again be tackling this challenge, taking into account the thermal load of the plant’s installations and the human density of the enclosure. Perfect mastery of the buildings’ HVAC technical packages completes these advanced systems. A tailor-made approach is therefore required to ensure the conformity of the industrial process and its operational availability, while optimising energy consumption through innovative design.
Yann Vincent, CEO of ACC, said:
The production of electric batteries is a daily industrial challenge that ACC is meeting with the support and reliability of its partners.
“This long-term trust is the foundation of an industry of the future, which is essential to guarantee the sovereignty and sustainability of clean mobility, thanks to a presence across the entire value chain, in conjunction with carmakers,”
Pierre Hardouin, CEO of Equans France, said:
At a time when the energy transition is at the heart of sustainable mobility, the Equans teams are proud to be taking real action to accelerate the decarbonisation of our model.
“The production of batteries made in France is the fruit of a wealth of expertise to which we are happy to contribute by drawing on our international experience. Innovation and the development of cutting-edge technologies are at the heart of our DNA,”
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ACC renews its partnership with Equans for the second production block of its battery gigafactory in Billy-Berclau Douvrin. source
