What are gigafactories? Gigafactories are mega plants that produce bns of GWs worth of batteries in an end-to-end manufacturing process which facilitates renewable and non-renewable energy storage. The term was first coined by Elon Musk in 2013 when referring to the massive battery production facility Tesla was building, and the mega plants have cropped up in China, Europe, India, the US, and regionally, in Morocco.

Where we stand: The number of gigafactories in the construction or planning phase by 2030 is estimated at 401 amid an EV battery production bonanza, according to a recent report by Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. The latest addition to the pipeline is India’s Tata Group’s 40 GWh UK-based gigafactory — its first outside of India — which has netted some GBP 4 bn (USD 5.2 bn) in investments and will help provide nearly half of the battery production that Britain needs by 2030. The facility will launch in 2026 and provide electric batteries to Jaguar Land Rover’s future EV models.

Gigafactories are key to the growth of the EV market: These mega plants will power a booming EV industry. The EV market size in the Middle East and Africa is projected to boom to c.USD 7.7 bn by 2028 from USD 2.7 bn in 2023 at a CAGR of 23.2%, data by Mordor Intelligence showed. Such a growth will be driven by efforts to promote the use of EVs and increased awareness about energy storage solutions in the sector.

Expect a giga-boom: Gigafactories are being built in countries with automotive industries transitioning to EV manufacturing, which are increasingly looking to maximize value chain efficiency. Investments in gigafactories are set to grow tenfold by the end of the decade, Investment Monitor writes, citing research by GlobalData. It estimates between USD 106 bn and USD 177.6 bn will be poured into building the facilities as they become larger in capacity and more widespread globally.

So what makes a region attractive for investment? Aside from traditional tools like subsidies and tax breaks, other strategies being used to attract gigafactory investments such as implementing combustion engine phase out policies, emission reduction targets geared to the transport industry, strong local and regional demand for EVs, strong EV charging infrastructure, and providing clean energy supply to power the plants. Regions with industrial clusters to support battery and EV production, robust battery supply chains with raw materials, and midstream products and battery recycling facilities have proven attractive for gigafactory investment.

It’s no surprise that China reigns supreme: China is home to 125 gigafactories, over ten times the combined number in Europe and North America, according to a 2022 report by Benchmark Market Intelligence. The country is expected to have 226 battery plants in operation by 2030, representing some 4.5k GWh of annual production or 70% of global capacity. Chinese giant CATL, the world’s biggest battery maker, controls 37%of the world’s electric batteries market and is worth USD 139 bn by market value. It kicked off its overseas gigafactories presence in Germany, with the 14 GWh plant forecast to make 30 mn cells annually at full capacity, or enough to power up around 350k EVs with a 40 kilowatt-hour battery. It is projected to be Europe’s largest battery maker in Europe when its planned 100-GWh facility in Hungary reaches full capacity. It aims to kickoff production at the mega battery plant within two to three years, according to company officials.

But Chinese companies are eyeing our region: Morocco signed an MoU with Chinese battery maker Gotion High Tech in June to build a roadmap for setting up a gigafactory for EV batteries and energy storage systems. Under the agreement, Gotion High-Tech will set up a “gigafactory” with investments estimated at MAD 65 bn (c. USD 6.4 bn) in Bouknadel. The facility, which will be the first of its kind in Africa, will have a production capacity of 100 GWh and will create 25k jobs.

The region’s EV value chain plays a key part: Egypt is supporting Abou Ghaly Motors and other private sector players with incentives to get a homegrown EV industry off the ground, with the country’s environment minister expecting the first locally-assembled EVs to roll off production lines in 2024. Turkey rolled out the country’s first homegrown electric vehicle Togg last year, with plans to begin exports to Europe from the end of 2024. KSA’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund, holds a majority stake in EV manufacturer Lucid Motors. Construction of the EV firm’s Saudi Arabian production plant began in May this year, with the company eyeing having 80% of all its EVs made in Saudi Arabia by 2030. The kingdom’s first EV brand Ceer — a JV between PIF and Taiwanese multinational electronics contract manufacturer Hon Hai Precision Industry Company (Foxconn) — are partnering up to set up an EV production plant in Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC).

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