Siemens, a global technology company, has partnered with Freyr Battery, a Norwegian battery manufacturer, in a groundbreaking collaboration focused on sustainable battery production. The strategic partnership was announced at the Hannover Messe and will see Siemens becoming Freyr’s preferred supplier of automation and digitalization technology.
Under the agreement, Freyr will utilize hardware and software from Siemens’ ‘Industrial Operations X’ portfolio to design and operate its planned gigafactories in Norway and the United States. This partnership will enable Freyr to scale up production and optimize plant and energy efficiency. Siemens’ ‘Industrial Operations X’ provides a wide range of products and services that combine operational technology with integrated information technology, enabling seamless integration throughout the battery design and manufacturing process.
The collaboration between Siemens and Freyr encompasses various stages of battery production, including production design, product design, and automation of the entire production process. This will be applied to Freyr’s planned Giga Arctic facility in Norway, with production expected to start in the first half of 2024, and the Giga America facility in Georgia, set to begin production in 2025. Together, these facilities aim to produce over 50 GWh of battery cells by 2025.
To showcase the capabilities of this partnership, Siemens and Nvidia have developed a demonstration using digital twins of the Freyr factories. The digital twins, created with Amazon’s AWS IoT TwinMaker service, illustrate how the Siemens application, powered by the Nvidia Omniverse platform, can enhance decision-making processes within the factories.
This collaboration is not the first between Siemens and Freyr. Earlier this year, the two companies, along with Caterpillar, Glencore, and Nidec, formed a strategic coalition to expand sustainable battery solutions globally.
Tom Einar Jensen, co-founder and CEO of Freyr, expressed excitement about leveraging Siemens’ expertise in automation and digitalization, along with the unique capabilities of AWS and Nvidia, to meet the growing global demand for batteries. He emphasized that digitally enhanced electrochemical cell design and manufacturing processes are the future of battery production.
Cedrik Neike, Member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG and CEO of Digital Industries, highlighted Siemens’ commitment to providing speed, scale, and sustainability to battery manufacturers. This partnership solidifies Siemens’ position as a prime partner for battery manufacturers worldwide.
The Siemens-Freyr collaboration in sustainable battery production reflects the industry’s growing focus on clean energy solutions. As global demand for batteries continues to rise, partnerships like this are crucial in driving innovation and meeting the sustainability goals of the future.
