With the ceremonial ground-breaking, construction has officially begun on the second and largest phase of the battery cell research and production facility (FFB Fab) in Münster, Germany. The expansion will enable large-scale, gigawatt-level production research.
Covering a space of 20,000 square metres, the new site will house state-of-the-art production and research facilities aimed at enabling industrial-scale research and development in the gigawatt range, according to Fraunhofer FFB. Completion of the construction phase is scheduled for the end of 2027.
The smaller FFB PreFab, featuring around 6,800 square metres of research space, has been operational since late April 2024. Professor Achim Kampker from the FFB leadership team explained the split between the FFB PreFab and the now-under-construction FFB Fab in an earlier interview with electrive.
“Both the FFB PreFab and the FFB Fab are focused on further developing technologies – that is, scaling them up. What we’re primarily dealing with are prototypes,” said Kampker. “In the PreFab, we can provide an initial assessment of feasibility on a pilot scale, and the Fab allows us to scale these processes – for instance, by increasing speed or throughput.”
The message is clear: the FFB Fab will significantly expand local equipment capacity for battery production research, right up to an industrial scale. The objective is to allow companies and research institutes across the entire battery value chain to test and further develop their innovations at various stages.
Currently, around 140 people are employed at Fraunhofer FFB. Together with the battery ecosystem BatteryCityMünster – which includes the University of Münster’s MEET Battery Research Centre and the Helmholtz Institute Münster of Forschungszentrum Jülich – the FFB says it is ‘already successfully attracting companies and start-ups’.
“The start of construction marks an important step for the Fraunhofer FFB and the entire BatteryCityMünster ecosystem.,” said Professor Simon Lux, Director of the Fraunhofer FFB. “We are delighted to be part of this dynamic development and to actively promote technology transfer to industry in collaboration with local institutions.”
The German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia is investing approximately €320 million into the site and its research buildings. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is contributing up to €500 million to support the development of research facilities and related projects.
Research operations – funded by the BMBF – continue in parallel with the ceremonial ground-breaking. Notably, the Research Fab Battery Cells was one of the few battery research initiatives that emerged largely unscathed from the federal budget cuts in Germany in early 2024.
As such, both NRW and BMBF representatives were present at the ceremony in Münster. “With FFB Fab, we are not only taking a huge step forward for research on an industrial scale, but also for our business location,” said Mona Neubaur, Minister for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. “Modern battery cells are the backbone of the energy transition – and it is precisely here in Münster that we are continuously expanding our expertise. We are strengthening our technological sovereignty, creating future-proof jobs, bringing added value back to Europe and thus securing our prosperity.”
Ina Brandes, Minister for Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, added: “The development of smart batteries is one of the key technologies that will secure prosperity and good jobs in North Rhine-Westphalia. The ground-breaking ceremony for the second construction phase is another milestone on the way to a unique research facility where the battery cell production of tomorrow can be optimally researched and developed.”
ffb.fraunhofer.de
