Capgemini-电池创新，打造可持续未来（英）

1Capgemini Research InstituteExecutive ConversationsA conversation with Gilles Moreau Co-Founder & Chief Sustainability Officer VerkorBattery innovations for a sustainable future2Capgemini Research InstituteExecutive ConversationsGILLES MOREAUCO-FOUNDER & CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER VerkorIn 2020, Gilles Moreau co-founded Verkor, a French battery startup, with the sole ambition of fast-tracking low carbon battery production for the European market. Gilles, an electrochemist with a background in stationary energy storage, was previously Co-Founder and Battery Lead at Lancey Energy Storage and, as Project Manager at the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), worked on various French and European lithium-ion battery projects. BATTERY INNOVATIONS FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTUREExecutive Conversations3Capgemini Research InstituteWhat led you to co-found Verkor?Gilles Moreau: My early work focused on fuel cells, particularly during my time at Renault, where I worked on hydrogen-powered vehicles. Over time, as Renault’s focus shifted to electric mobility, my expertise expanded into batteries.I’ve worked with large corporations such as 3M and Faurecia [now Forvia], as well as in European research projects including COBRA, a major EU-funded battery initiative. But I wanted to build something from the ground up. In 2016, I launched my first company, integrating batteries into demand-response energy solutions.That experience laid the foundation for Verkor, which I co-founded in 2020. Our mission was to develop high-performance, low-carbon batteries for Europe. My remit at Verkor includes open innovation, sustainability, and strategic partnerships, as well as securing major funding from the French government and the EU, which amounts to nearly €650 million to date.Gilles Moreau, Co-Founder and Chief Sustainability OfficerVerkorVERKOR AND THE GIGAFACTORYExecutive Conversations4Capgemini Research InstituteVerkor has established a gigafactory in Dunkirk with a capacity of 16 GWh per year. What’s the roadmap for scaling production?Gilles Moreau: We have the capability to expand the site to incorporate up to three gigafactories, each with a 16-GWh annual capacity, meaning we could scale to 48 GWh per year. But right now, the battery industry is going through cyclical fluctuations, so we are taking a strategic, demand-driven approach to scaling. That said, we already have the infrastructure, talent, and government support in place to move quickly if demand strengthens. Verkor currently focuses on nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) pouch batteries, but there’s growing interest in lithium iron phosphate (LFP), sodium-ion, and even solid-state technologies. How do you decide which chemistry to pursue?Gilles Moreau: The biggest driver of battery chemistry choices isn’t technical superiority. It’s customer demand. Our approach has always been flexible and customer-driven. We began with NMC pouch batteries because that’s what our customers – particu