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Photo = CATL |
[Alpha Biz= Paul Lee] Spain – September 27, 2025 – Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL), the world’s largest battery manufacturer, announced plans to dispatch 2,000 Chinese employees to Spain to support the construction of a large-scale lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery plant. The unprecedented move underscores Europe’s growing reliance on Chinese expertise in the electric vehicle (EV) supply chain.
According to the Financial Times, CATL and its joint venture partner Stellantis will invest €4 billion to establish the facility in Zaragoza, Spain. Covering an area equivalent to 100 football fields, the plant is expected to begin operations by the end of next year, though construction has not yet commenced.
CATL stated that it will send 2,000 personnel to oversee construction and equipment installation, a deployment scale rarely seen in previous Chinese corporate projects in Europe. Analysts interpret the decision as an effort to retain control over proprietary know-how and limit the outflow of core technologies. Stellantis declined to comment on whether CATL would share its technological expertise.
Local labor representatives have voiced concerns over the limited transfer of technology. José Juan Arceiz, representing Stellantis workers, criticized the arrangement: “Chinese specialists are handling both construction and installation, and it appears there is no intention to transfer technology locally.”
CATL has employed a similar approach at its facilities in Germany and Hungary, where initial operations were led by Chinese staff before transitioning to local teams for mass production. In Spain, CATL has pledged to hire 3,000 local workers once the Zaragoza plant is fully operational. However, experts note that the company remains cautious about disclosing advanced manufacturing processes and equipment know-how.
The project is being supported by funding from both the Spanish government and the European Union (EU). While it promises significant local job creation, it also raises questions about Europe’s long-term technological independence in the battery sector.
알파경제 Paul Lee 특파원(hoondork1977@alphabiz.co.kr)
