Overview
- Verkor inaugurated its Bourbourg plant near Dunkirk and said the site is operational, with first commercial battery cells due in early 2026.
- The project totals €1.5 billion, with nearly half from public aid, and is expected to create about 1,200 jobs.
- Capacity targets would supply enough lithium‑ion batteries for roughly 300,000 electric vehicles per year around 2027, according to company cofounders.
- Renault is the lead customer and holds about a 10% stake in Verkor, with early output slated for Alpine and FlexEVan programs.
- The opening precedes an EU decision on possible changes to the 2035 combustion‑car sales ban, as French ministers called for measures favoring locally made components within a growing northern France battery cluster.