Gotion High-Tech to set up industrial ecosystem for electric batteries manufacturing in Kenitra

Morocco and the Chinese-European Gotion High-Tech Group, a leader in the field of electric vehicles, signed, on Thursday in Rabat, a strategic investment agreement worth 12.8 billion dirhams on the setting up of a comprehensive industrial ecosystem for the manufacturing of electric batteries in Kenitra.

The investment agreement, signed at a ceremony chaired by Head of Government, Aziz Akhannouch, will create 17,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs, including 2,300 highly skilled jobs, according to a statement by the Head of Government’s Department.

This major strategic investment involves not only the first “Gigafactory” to be built in Morocco, but also the first of its kind in the entire Middle East & Africa region, consolidating the Kingdom’s position as regional leader in the automotive industry and energy transition, the statement said.

For this first Gigafactory, the Moroccan government has decided to place its trust in the Sino-European player Gotion High-Tech, a world leader in the electric battery sector, with the German Volkswagen Group as one of its reference shareholders, to develop an integrated project for the production of batteries for electric vehicles with a capacity of 20 GWh.

This investment corresponds to the first phase in the development of the Group’s industrial activities in Morocco, with plans to eventually develop a capacity of 100 GWh for a total investment of 65 billion dirhams.

The electric batteries Gigafactory will start operations in June 2026, announced Minister in charge of Investment, Mohcine Jazouli, one of the co-signers of the agreement.

The Gigafactory will consolidate Morocco’s position as a future hub for electric mobility, emphasized Jazouli during a round-table discussion with media following the signing of the agreement.

The first phase of this ambitious project is expected to produce 20 GWh and have an export capacity of 20 billion dirhams. This capacity will eventually reach 100 GWh for a global investment of 65 billion dirhams, he said.

As for the choice of Morocco by the Gotion High tech group, Jazouli emphasized the Kingdom’s stability, the youth of its population, the quality of its infrastructure, and the free-trade agreements signed with several countries, all of which favor access to a major market and provide a base for exports.

“Today, we are reaping the rewards of HM King Mohammed VI’s Vision for renewable energies”, he underlined, noting that “thanks to this Vision, green energy is available in Morocco at an ultra-competitive price.”

In this vein, he recalled that the Investment Charter provides a clear framework for investors and for the ever-improving business climate.

Referring to the project’s economic benefits, particularly in terms of employment, value creation and foreign currency earnings, Jazouli noted that the future Gigafactory would help to safeguard jobs in the automotive sector, especially in view of the European Union’s new regulations on electric mobility, which are due to come into force in 2035.