3 questions for Guillaume Grippi, key sector manager (division director)

A materials engineer by training, Guillaume Grippi has been working at SEGULA Technologies for 20 years. After working in the aerospace industry, he joined the automotive sector and held technical and managerial positions, particularly in prototype assembly. In recent years, he has focused on developing SEGULA’s activities in the field of batteries and gigafactories, supporting clients in their industrial projects.

What is your role in the development of a gigafactory?

My role consists of managing all projects, from industrialisation to technical support, accompanying our customers at every stage. This includes coordinating multidisciplinary teams (process engineers, automation engineers, energy specialists) and developing our range of services for batteries and gigafactories. I am also involved in managing strategic partnerships and adapting methods to meet the specific needs of each customer. The aim is to ensure that the factory operates optimally, safely and sustainably from the moment it is commissioned.

After 20 years at SEGULA, what major changes have you observed?

My main observation is that SEGULA now offers a comprehensive, multidisciplinary service covering all aspects of these large-scale projects. By mobilising its wide range of skills and through strategic partnerships, SEGULA is able to respond to increasingly complex challenges and projects, in particular by offering services ranging from technical assistance through the provision of highly skilled resources to the construction of complete turnkey projects covering the entire V-cycle of industrial development, from the design phase to the integration of production lines at customer sites.

In your opinion, how will gigafactories evolve over the next 5 to 10 years ?

We are only at the beginning of the explosion in demand for energy storage via the use of batteries. The transformation of the automotive sector towards electric vehicles is underway and will continue to require more and more battery production over the next 10 years. The same is true for energy storage needs, both for renewable energy production and to keep energy-intensive facilities such as data centres running. Gigafactories will therefore continue to develop around the world to meet this ever growing demand.

WHAT FUTURE FOR GIGAFACTORIES?

Global demand for batteries is growing rapidly. Overall production capacity is expected to rise to 9TWh by 2030, which is 10 times higher than in 2020 and 3 times higher than in 2024.

China and other Asian countries remain the undisputed leaders in battery production thanks to a development policy decided more than 10 years ago and massive investment in R&D and the industrialisation of their gigafactories.

To support the anticipated growth, several hundred gigafactory projects are rapidly being rolled out across the world. Europe and North America are gradually increasing their share of production and investing heavily to secure their autonomy. Nevertheless, China and Asia are continuing their growth and development and will therefore remain leaders with nearly 70% of capacity in 2030.

Despite a slowdown in demand for electric vehicles compared to estimates, the electrification of the vehicle fleet, the constant development of renewable energy production and growing energy storage needs will not be able to slow down this growth momentum.

Key professions and skills

Setting up a gigafactory requires specialists from many technical fields. Product development involves electrochemistry engineers, R&D researchers, testing and validation specialists, and safety experts. Their role is to design high-performance, reliable and safe batteries.

In industrialisation, the profiles are just as varied: energy engineers to design electrical and thermal installations, HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) technicians, dry room and clean room specialists, automation and robotics engineers responsible for developing production lines, and process engineers to oversee the chemical and mechanical stages.

These skills, which are often rare, are not limited to gigafactories: they also have a place in the automotive, aeronautics, rail and chemical industries, where mass production requires the same rigour and precision.

Today, recruiting and training qualified personnel is a priority:
operators, engineers and technicians must be trained in new
or emerging technologies, while complying with quality, safety
and environmental standards.

 

Since 2020, SEGULA has been collaborating with Automotive Cells Company (ACC), a joint venture founded by Stellantis, Mercedes Benz and Saft (a subsidiary of TotalEnergies), specialising in the development and production of next-generation batteries for electric vehicles. SEGULA’s teams have been involved in several key sites, including the research centre in Bruges and the pilot site in Nersac.

In 2023, SEGULA participated in the development of the Billy Berclau gigafactory in Hauts-de-France, supporting the industrialisation of battery cells and modules. The first of its kind in France, this factory is a major step forward for ACC, which plans to reach a capacity of 120 GWh by 2030. Measuring 650 metres in length, the site illustrates the rise of the European battery industry. As part of its collaboration with ACC, SEGULA plans to recruit more than 300 people by 2027.

Pierre-Alain Dufour, Launch Team Manager of the gigafactory, ACC, and Ma Jing, lead interpreter for the Cell Assembly sector, SEGULA Technologies. In the background: the factory
under construction (© SEGULA
Technologies)

📌 Related: What does the future hold for battery gigafactories in Europe and around the world ?

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