The President of Navarre, María Chivite Navascués, convened this Wednesday with executives from the Chinese energy storage firm HiTHIUM as part of the ongoing official visit by a Navarrese delegation to China. During the meeting with HiTHIUM's Founder and Chairman, Jeff Wu, and witnessed by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, a formal agreement was executed between the regional government and the Chinese corporation to advance the "development, construction, and operation" of a planned gigafactory for battery energy storage systems (BESS) and battery cells.

The proposed facility represents a capital investment of approximately 400 million euros and is projected to generate 700 direct employment opportunities.

The signed document underscores that this undertaking will make "a substantial contribution to Europe's green energy transition, while strengthening the robust economic and trade collaboration between China and Spain."

In her remarks at the meeting, President Chivite emphasized that "while certain steps and details remain to be finalized," the investment "will be realized in the Community, which is welcome news for all the people of Navarre." She further indicated that the company currently anticipates commencing production activities in 2027.

Chivite also highlighted Navarre's proven track record in facilitating foreign investment projects, noting the region's dependable approach to business, the accessibility of its institutions, and the reinforcement of local Navarrese industrial ecosystems that such ventures foster.

Mikel Irujo, Navarre's Minister of Industry and Ecological and Digital Business Transition, described the agreement as the culmination of "intensive work over two years of direct engagement, involving seven site visits by Chinese delegations to Navarre and four reciprocal trips to China by representatives of the regional government." He attributed the selection of Navarre for this project to its mature industrial ecosystem, specifically citing "the available engineering services, the caliber of its technology centers, industrial amenities, training infrastructure, and the strength of its universities and vocational education programs."

Representing HiTHIUM alongside the Navarrese contingent, Dr. Qi Tang, Managing Director of the Strategy Development Office, characterized the agreement as a "milestone" in the company's investment trajectory in Navarre. Dr. Tang offered a positive assessment of Sino-Spanish relations and conveyed HiTHIUM's intention to advance the project "as soon as possible."

"We are of the view that both Navarre and Spain offer the appropriate commercial climate for us—and for other Chinese enterprises—to expand our business operations within Europe," Dr. Tang explained, while expressing firm confidence that the battery factory initiative in Navarre "will prove highly successful."

Furthermore, Dr. Tang noted that a key factor in the decision to locate in Navarre was the "efficiency demonstrated by the Navarrese authorities throughout the process," along with the "strong backing" they have provided during the evaluation and decision-making phases.