Automobile Battery Plant to Be Built in Gemlik

Turkey's first automotive battery factory is being built in Gemlik, a district of Bursa. Siro, a company established through a partnership between Turkey's Automobile Initiative Group (TOGG) and Chinese energy giant Farasis, will launch a battery cell and module production facility in Gemlik, Bursa, utilizing project-based state support. The facility is expected to provide employment for approximately 2,200 people. According to an announcement from the Ministry of Industry and Technology, Turkey has taken an important step in battery production, the most critical component of electric vehicles. Siro, established through a partnership between TOGG and Chinese energy giant Farasis, is building a battery cell and module production facility in Gemlik. The TRY 30 billion investment with 15 gigawatt-hour battery cell capacity and 19.8 gigawatt-hour battery module capacity will contribute to the technological transformation of Turkey's electric vehicle and mobility ecosystem.

Aim to reduce energy dependency

Energy storage solutions for automotive and non-automotive applications will also be developed at Siro's production facility in Gemlik. Siro, which will produce battery modules and packs for TOGG, aims to reduce energy dependency, accelerate the development of a clean and efficient energy system. With this investment, employment is projected for 2,200 people, of whom 400 will be skilled workers. Minister of Industry and Technology Mustafa Varank also announced the development through his Twitter account, stating: "Turkey's first automotive battery factory is being built. A major step for our automotive industry with production capacity for 2 million vehicles and over USD 30 billion in exports. Siro, through the TOGG and Farasis partnership, will produce 15 gigawatt-hour battery cells and modules." Varank included in his post a Presidential Decision providing project-based state support for Siro's investment, published in today's Official Gazette. According to the ministry announcement, addressing the battery production needs of the automotive industry, which exports over USD 30 billion, TOGG and Farasis Energy first agreed to establish a joint battery production facility in Turkey. The two companies combined their strengths through Siro, a company named after the abbreviation of "Silk Road," the English name for the historic trade route connecting east and west and playing an important role in civilizational development. Following Siro's establishment, TOGG Board Chairman Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu and Farasis Energy Founding Partner Dr. Keith Kepler, the company's partners, visited President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who both promoted TOGG and laid the foundation stone for its factory. Prior to the visit in October, the Siro delegation also met with Minister Varank. During this meeting, Hisarcıklıoğlu and Kepler signed and submitted the investment plan and incentive application file to Varank. TOGG, which holds intellectual and industrial property rights, will be Europe's first natively electric SUV when it rolls off the production line in the final quarter of 2022. TOGG aims to present five different models to consumers by 2030. The electric, connected next-generation TOGG will be produced at the facility located on 1.2 million square meters in Gemlik.