On this episode of the IONS podcast, we talk with Landon Mossburg, co-founder of Peak Energy, who shares his experiences helping Northvolt grow from a team of 20 people to become Europe's largest battery manufacturer. Now, having declared bankruptcy, Northvolt's meteoric rise and tragic fall begs the question: how can western companies compete with the Chinese and Korean companies that dominate the industry today?

Host Cam Dales explores what went right, what went wrong, and what lessons can be learned from Northvolt's journey

Summary:

• Northvolt aimed to establish a sustainable battery supply chain in Europe but struggled with scaling and parallelizing various processes.
• The company's vision was expansive, encompassing recycling, raw materials, cathode production, cell manufacturing, and battery systems, which proved difficult to manage simultaneously.
• Northvolt initially focused on high-energy-density NMC cells but later recognized the strategic importance of including LFP options in their portfolio.
• The company encountered difficulties in cell design and manufacturing, including equipment selection and adapting to customer demands for custom cells.
• External factors, such as construction delays, supply chain disruptions during COVID-19, and policy uncertainties, further complicated Northvolt's efforts.

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This episode’s guest is Geoff Brown, former CEO of Powin and now Chief Strategy Officer at Peak Energy. A veteran of the renewable energy sector, Geoff discusses his journey and the evolution of energy storage with host Cam Dales, Chief Commercial Officer at Peak.

Geoff recounts his early career and his time at Powin, a company that grew from a trampoline importer to a major battery system integrator.

Key topics include the crucial role of system integrators, the impact of Chinese cell manufacturers, and the importance of domestic cell manufacturing. The conversation also highlights the significance of the IRA, the challenges of domestic battery cell production, the need for experienced talent, and the complexities of financing battery factories. Geoff explains the concept of project equity as a way for customers to invest in a factory to ensure a domestic supply of batteries.

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