Chinese lithium-ion battery and energy storage giant Hithium has formalised a €400 million ($471 million) investment to build a battery gigafactory in Spain's Navarre region, capping a two-year engagement with Spanish authorities and bringing 700 direct jobs to the country once the plant opens in 2027.
Inside the deal
Navarre president María Chivite Navascués and Hithium founder and chairman Jeff Wu signed the investment commitment in front of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Industry Minister Jordi Hereu and Navarre Industry Minister Mikel Irujo. Irujo described the signing as the result of "intense work of two years of direct contact, seven visits by Chinese representatives to Navarre and four trips to China." Final details on capacity and product mix — cells, BESS units or both — have not been disclosed.
Why Spain
The deal lands as Spain doubles down on battery manufacturing. AESC broke ground on a 30 GWh LFP gigafactory in Extremadura in 2024, while Stellantis and CATL's Contemporary Star Energy joint venture is investing up to €4.1 billion in a 50 GWh Zaragoza plant. PM Sánchez has pitched Spain as a European clean energy hub, citing abundant solar and wind, robust grid infrastructure and a growing industrial ecosystem.
Hithium's global push
Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Xiamen, Hithium specialises in stationary storage rather than EV batteries. The company has signed BESS supply deals in Central Europe and the Nordics, recently introducing 587 Ah and 1,175 Ah large-format cells. The Navarre commitment positions Hithium alongside other Chinese cell makers chasing European demand against a strained grid-storage backlog.
Reporting based on coverage from Energy-Storage.News, Reuters and Spain's Moncloa Palace.