Voltfang opens Europe's largest second-life battery factory in Aachen

22.08.2025

Source: E & M powernews

New life for old e-car batteries. The largest second-life battery factory in Europe has officially opened for business in Aachen.

The Aachen-based company Voltfang has opened a new production facility. According to the company, the largest second-life battery factory in Europe has been built on around 6,000 square meters in Technopark Aachen, the former Rothe Erde industrial park. North Rhine-Westphalia's Minister President Hendrik Wüst (CDU) officially opened the facility.

Voltfang intends to significantly expand its production capacities with the site. An additional 250 million kWh of storage capacity is to be provided by the end of 2026. The new production facility is called "Voltfang Future Fab".

Voltfang was founded in 2021 as a spin-off of RWTH Aachen University. It develops and manufactures stationary battery storage systems from reused electric car batteries. The systems can be coupled with photovoltaic systems or heat pumps, for example, and feed electricity into the grid as required. In addition to the so-called second-life batteries, Voltfang relies on its own energy management system.

Minister President Wüst said at the opening: "Voltfang shows how sustainable innovations can provide real impetus and contribute to the competitiveness of our industry. With the opening of Europe's largest second-life battery factory, Voltfang is setting a milestone for a sustainable energy system. Used batteries are turned into powerful storage systems that increase security of supply and reduce critical dependencies on global supply chains."

According to the company, Voltfang now employs more than 100 people and works with over 200 partners. To date, more than 6,900 battery modules have been "saved from a premature end".

In spring, Voltfang put a stationary storage system with a capacity of 540 kWh into operation at Stuttgart Airport. At the same time, the company began construction of a large storage facility with a capacity of around 20 MWh and 9.5 MW in the Aachen/Alsdorf area in North Rhine-Westphalia in May. Commissioning is scheduled for the end of this year.

Voltfang also took several financial steps in the summer to secure its growth. In June, the company raised EUR 15 million in a Series B financing round, which will be used to expand production.

This was followed in July by a EUR 3 million guarantee line with Commerzbank. This is a credit line granted by a bank in which the bank does not disburse money itself, but guarantees the liabilities of its customer.

Author: Stefan Sagmeister