Siro started mass production of modules and packs on March 31st and already achieved another major milestone: The joint venture between Farasis Energy and Togg, which was established in 2021 to develop innovative energy storage solutions for the automotive and non-automotive industry, has laid the foundation stone of its cell factory in Gemlik, Turkey, on April 24th. The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by prominent decision makers from industry and politics, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, members of the Presidential Cabinet, Togg, Farasis Energy and Siro Board of Directors.
Dr. Keith Kepler, Vice Chairman of Siro and Co-founder of Farasis said: “This investment underlines Farasis’ global growth and places emphasis on the importance to switch to a fossil free form of transportation. We are proud to be part of this joint venture, which will be shaping the future of mobility.”
Dr. Stefan Bergold, Member of the Board of Siro and General Manager at Farasis Energy Europe, adds: “Siro will ensure the storage of renewable energy, accelerate electrification of vehicles, and thus make significant contributions to the reduction of CO2 emissions. Businesses and governments need to collaborate closely on mobility issues to achieve set climate goals.”
Planned cell production by 2026
An Environmental Impact Assessment report, zoning plan approvals and construction license were obtained for the facility which will be built on 60 hectares of land. Mass production of cells will commence in 2026. Production capacity is scheduled to reach 20 GWh/a by 2031 and can be increased even further.
In addition to the cell production, a state-of-the-art cell lab will be built by the end of 2023. Siro will then develop and manufacture its own innovative battery cells, based on Farasis Energy's latest technology.
At the ceremony Gürcan Karakaş, Chairman of Siro and CEO at Togg said: “Siro believes that we need to come together for a clean future. This can only be accomplished with an ecosystem approach. Siro heads to pioneer in establishing an ESG-proof (Environmental, Social and Governance), thus carbon-free, regional battery ecosystem. This approach is a natural extension of Siro’s strategy of developing and producing high-performance, state-of-the-art lithium-ion cells in Turkey.”