BERLIN, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- After the EU approval of the planned battery cell plant in the German city of Kaiserslautern, Germany's Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Peter Altmaier visited the site and presented the current status together with car manufacturer Opel on Friday.

"A project of the century is being created," said Michael Lohscheller, chief executive officer (CEO) of Opel. With a total capacity of 24 gigawatt hours, three blocks, each with a capacity of 8 gigawatt hours, would be built from 2023 onwards.

About half a million cars per year could be supplied with battery cells made in Kaiserslautern, said Lohscheller, adding that around 2,000 new jobs were planned to be established at the site.

Supported by the German government and the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, the "largest battery cell production for electric vehicles in Germany" was scheduled to start at the Opel site in Kaiserslautern from 2024 onwards, according to the Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.

"We want to build the best and most sustainable batteries in Germany and Europe," said Altmaier, adding that "the battery cells from Kaiserslautern can set new standards in CO2 balance and sustainability."

Together with the parent company PSA and the French Total subsidiary Saft, the German car manufacturer Opel announced the establishment of a joint venture called Automotive Cell Company (ACC) to produce battery cells for electric cars.

As part of the joint venture, two plants, one in Germany and one in France, are planned with a total capacity of 48 gigawatt hours, which would produce about 10 to 15 percent of the expected European market, the ministry noted. The total investment volume for this project was almost 5 billion euros (5.5 billion U.S. dollars).

Altmaier stressed that he's "delighted that the European Commission has examined and approved the first major battery project for Europe in just a few weeks." Enditem

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