It is one of the symbols of reindustrialization in France: Verkor, a start-up specializing in the production of electric batteries, will install a mega-factory in Dunkirk (North). Last week, the company announced a record fundraising of 850 million euros. Enough to build its new factory by 2025. Overview of the site.
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Fields as far as the eye can see and the silence broken by the sound of footsteps on the gravel, in front of the modest prefabricated buildings: it is difficult to imagine that here, in two years, the Verkor mega-factory will rise from the ground. Sylvain Paineau, its co-founder, confides: “ So, what we already have is a vacant but clean piece of land. Almost 40 hectares are used. The building alone will be 10 hectares, so it’s an enormous surface area on which we have already done the earthworks. The construction part starts Monday September 25, 2023. The inclusions and machines will begin to appear on the ground to make the foundation piles. »
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The first electric batteries must be delivered to Renault in 2025, resulting in 1,200 direct jobs in the Dunkirk region, which Verkor has carefully selected. “ We saw 40 sites all over Italy, Spain and France. Dunkirk was the site which met the most technical criteria. We needed to find land with large surface areas, an area that allowed us to have an electrical connection within a reasonable time, and then, as much work as possible already prepared to accommodate us. », continues Sylvain Paineau.
The project is closely monitored by the government. It should enable France to achieve its objective of 2 million electric cars produced in France by 2030.