New supercapacitor factory opened near Leipzig

The German-Estonian company Skeleton Technologies has opened a new factory for supercapacitors in Markranstädt near Leipzig. Around twelve million cells are to be produced in the "SuperFactory" every year, as the company announced.

Supercapacitors are storage devices that can absorb and release energy faster than conventional batteries. They are used in automotive engineering, power grids and industry, among other things.

Goal: Ensuring security of supply in the power grid

"This enables operators of AI data centers to reduce their overall power consumption by up to 44 percent by balancing out peak loads and reducing the load on the power grid," explained Taavi Madiberk, CEO of Skeleton Technologies. In addition, a significant part of the value chain will remain in Europe. "Our goal is to ensure security of supply in the European power grid," Madiberk emphasized.

According to the company, the supercapacitors do not require lithium, cobalt, manganese or other critical raw materials. The basis for this is the patented "curved graphene material". The investment in Markranstädt reportedly amounts to around 220 million euros and will create 420 jobs.

Prime Minister of Estonia: Only the first percent

It is the largest investment by an Estonian company in Germany, said Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michael at the ceremony. "And Saxony is now one of the leading regions in microelectronics." Ultimately, Europe needs to produce what it needs itself. "But this is only the first percent, the other 99 percent will follow."

Estonia stands for innovation and digitalization, emphasized Saxony's Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer. "So far, Europe has been too slow, but we want to become a pioneer for the green markets," said the CDU politician.

Skeleton Technologies was founded in Estonia in 2009 and is, according to its own information, a leading European provider of high-performance and fast-charging energy storage systems for applications in AI data centers, grid stabilization, mobility and defence.