March 29, 2024
ACC has reaffirmed its confidence in Equans for the second production block at its gigafactory in Douvrin
On Thursday, March 28, Yann Vincent, CEO of ACC – Automotive Cells Company, and Pierre Hardouin, CEO of Equans France, formalized the new contract strengthening their partnership in support of electric mobility at ACC’s battery plant in Billy-Berclau / Douvrin. Following the success of its first production block—with an annual production capacity of 13 GWh, inaugurated in May 2023—ACC is currently overseeing the construction of a new unit to double its production capacity by 2026. Already serving as the lead contractor for the consortium responsible for the anhydrous rooms—alongside IAQ—on the first production block, the Equans France teams are fully committed to taking on this new challenge and designing a high-performance, safe, and energy-efficient industrial environment.
The construction work for the cleanrooms and anhydrous rooms (HVAC and electrical systems, ventilation, and piping) in the first production unit at the ACC plant in Billy-Berclau / Douvrin were carried out by Equans France, as was the terminal distribution of the fluids required for its equipment. For this first unit, Equans also leveraged the work carried out as part of a patent application to manage the treatment of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) vapors—an organic solvent used in the production of lithium-ion battery cathodes. This innovative solution encompasses the integration, design, implementation, and commissioning of these advanced technologies. Specific to gigafactories, this industrial process involves recovering and recycling these substances to reduce environmental impact and optimize the energy efficiency of production.
On another front, Equans will continue to connect process equipment to the various exhaust systems. Known as “hook-up exhaust,” this expertise is essential for ensuring the safety of personnel and the quality of the final product. Specifically, it ensures the removal and treatment of heat, dust, and solvents generated at every stage of battery manufacturing—from the mixing of the pastes applied to the cathode and anode strips, through their coating, drying, cutting, stacking, and battery assembly.
Since batteries and all their components are sensitive to any form of moisture in the air, they require completely airtight and controlled workspaces—also known as anhydrous rooms—to ensure the integrity of the atmosphere. Humidity and temperature must therefore be controlled to the nearest degree using systems that uniformly monitor the air. This is a challenge that Equans’ experts will once again tackle, taking into account the thermal load of the factory’s facilities and the occupancy density within the facility. Perfect control of the buildings’ HVAC systems complements these advanced systems. A customized approach is therefore necessary to ensure the industrial process’s compliance and operational availability while optimizing energy consumption through innovative design.
The production of electric vehicle batteries is a daily industrial challenge that ACC tackles with the support and reliability of its partners. This long-term trust is the foundation of an industry of the future, essential for ensuring the autonomy and sustainability of clean mobility through a presence across the entire value chain, in collaboration with automakers. Emphasizes Yann Vincent, CEO of ACC.
As the energy transition lies at the heart of sustainable mobility, the dedicated teams at Equans are proud to take concrete action to accelerate the decarbonization of our model. The production of batteries made in France is the result of a combination of expertise to which we are pleased to contribute by drawing on our international experience. Innovation and the development of cutting-edge technologies are at the heart of our DNA. concludes Pierre Hardouin, CEO of Equans France.
