可持续未来的电池创新：与吉勒斯·莫罗的对话

A conversation withGilles MoreauCo-Founder & Chief Sustainability OfficerVerkor Executive Conversations GILLES MOREAUCO-FOUNDER &CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER Verkor BATTERYINNOVATIONS FORA SUSTAINABLEFUTURE In 2020, Gilles Moreau co-founded Verkor, a Frenchbattery startup, with the sole ambition of fast-tracking low carbon battery production for theEuropean market. Gilles, an electrochemist witha background in stationary energy storage, waspreviously Co-Founder and Battery Lead at LanceyEnergy Storage and, as Project Manager at theFrench Alternative Energies and Atomic EnergyCommission (CEA), worked on various French andEuropean lithium-ion battery projects. VERKOR AND THE GIGAFACTORY What led you to co-foundVerkor? Gilles Moreau:My early work focusedon fuel cells, particularly during mytime at Renault, where I worked onhydrogen-powered vehicles. Overtime, as Renault’s focus shiftedto electric mobility, my expertiseexpanded into batteries. I’ve worked with large corporationssuch as 3M and Faurecia [now Forvia],as well as in European researchprojects including COBRA, a majorEU-funded battery initiative. But Iwanted to build something from theground up. In 2016, I launched my firstcompany, integrating batteries intodemand-response energy solutions. Gilles Moreau,Co-Founder andChief Sustainability OfficerVerkor That experience laid the foundationfor Verkor, which I co-founded in 2020.Our mission was to develop high-performance, low-carbon batteries forEurope. My remit at Verkor includesopen innovation, sustainability, andstrategic partnerships, as well assecuring major funding from theFrench government and the EU, whichamounts to nearly €650 million todate. Verkor has established a gigafactory in Dunkirk with acapacity of 16 GWh per year. What’s the roadmap for scalingproduction? Gilles Moreau:We have the capability to expand the site to incorporateup to three gigafactories, each with a 16-GWh annual capacity, meaning wecould scale to 48 GWh per year. But right now, the battery industry is goingthrough cyclical fluctuations, so we are taking a strategic, demand-drivenapproach to scaling. That said, we already have the infrastructure, talent, andgovernment support in place to move quickly if demand strengthens. Verkor currently focuses on nickel manganese cobalt oxide(NMC) pouch batteries, but there’s growing interest inlithium iron phosphate (LFP), sodium-ion, and even solid-state technologies. How do you decide which chemistry topursue? Gilles Moreau:The biggest driver of battery chemistry choices isn’t technicalsuperiority. It’s customer demand. Our approach has always been flexibleand customer-driven. We began with NMC pouch batteries because that’swhat our customers – particularly Renault – needed. However, we activelyresearch and develop alternative chemistries, including LFP, sodium-ion, andsodium-sulfur batteries. If a major automaker commits to sodium-ion, for instance, they have thesupply chain strength to make it commercially viable. Availability andcost of raw materials also play a role, but large OEMs [original equipmentmanufacturers] can secure materials at scale. Market trends also have a strong influence. A few years ago, everyone wastalking about solid-state batteries. Now, LFP and sodium-ion are generatingbuzz. The key is to make data-driven decisions to stay ahead of the curve. Can gigafactories be adapted for new chemistry? Gilles Moreau:The most efficient approach would be to build a dedicatedgigafactory for the new chemistry. Our current factory is optimized for NMCbatteries. While some adaptations are possible, a full transformation wouldbe costly and inefficient. In the long run, we see the industry moving toward specialized gigafactories,tailored to different chemistries. This will allow for maximum efficiency andperformance optimization. We see theindustry movingtoward specializedgigafactories,tailored to differentchemistries" From an automaker’s perspective,what are the key factorsinfluencing battery selection? Gilles Moreau:The number one factor iscost. But beyond that, automakers look at: 1.Energy density – the more energy abattery can store per kilogram, the better. 2.Charging speed – faster charging is amajor competitive advantage. 3.Safety – this is critical, especially asregulations tighten. However, market trends and publicperception also influence decision-making.Right now, LFP batteries are gainingtraction, largely due to the narrative createdby Chinese manufacturers. A few yearsago, everyone was fixated on solid-statebatteries. Before that, it was hydrogen fuelcells. While we aim to make rational, science-based decisions, we also need to stay awareof industry momentum and customerexpectations. THE BATTERY SUPPLY CHAIN How do you ensure transparency in your supply chain? Gilles Moreau:For a truly sustainablebattery industry, traceability is crucial. It’snot just about where materials come from,but also about how they are processed andtransported