The Anatolian Energy Forge – Turkey’s First Fully Integrated Prismatic Battery Module Line

12ppm, pack aseembly line in Turkey

From cell to pack in one continuous flow – 11 workstations, 27 axes of robotics, and zero human contact packaging, engineered for the crossroads of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

Date of Commissioning: June 20, 2026
Location: Polatlı Organized Industrial Zone, Ankara, Republic of Türkiye
Key Figures:

• Mr. Mehmet Özcan – Director General, Energy and Industrial Strategy Division, Ministry of Industry and Technology of Türkiye

• Ms. Ayşe Yıldırım – Chief Operating Officer, domestic battery module joint venture

• Mr. W Lu-Hai – Lead Automation Engineer, systems integration team

Project Background

Turkey stands at the nexus of three continents, bridging European automotive excellence with Middle Eastern energy wealth and African growth markets. With a population exceeding 86 million and a young, urbanising demographic, the country has witnessed annual electricity demand rise by 5–7%. More critically, Turkey's automotive sector – a cornerstone of its industrial economy, producing over 1.3 million vehicles annually – is undergoing its most profound transformation since the 1960s.

Under the “HIT-30 High Technology Investment Program”, the Turkish government has set an ambitious target of 80 GWh of domestic battery production capacity – equivalent to approximately 7% of the global market in 2025. The latest Renewable Energy Roadmap further aims to reach 120 GW of combined wind and solar capacity by 2035, alongside a massive expansion in battery storage. The World Bank has approved €400 million in additional financing to scale up Turkey's distributed renewable energy market, supporting 392 MWh of battery storage capacity and mobilising up to US$405 million in private capital. Battery storage is recognised as "the next critical step to future-proof Türkiye's energy grid".

Yet until this project, Turkey lacked a fully integrated, high-automation prismatic lithium-ion battery module line. Domestic EV manufacturers – including Turkey's national carmaker Togg, which targets 60,000 EV units in 2026 and 100,000 annually by 2027 – relied on imported modules. Hyundai's new İzmit battery factory, while significant, sources NMC cells from Hungary and LFP cells from China. LG Energy Solution's joint venture with GO Enerji in Ankara focuses on pack assembly. The critical gap remained: a domestic, climate-resilient, high-precision prismatic module assembly line that could serve both EV and stationary storage applications.

The Challenge: Seismic Geography, Extreme Temperature Swings, and Grid Volatility

Ankara sits on the Anatolian Plateau, at an elevation of approximately 938 metres, within one of the world's most seismically active regions. The Polatlı district experiences a harsh continental climate – summer temperatures routinely exceeding 38°C, winter lows dropping to -10°C, and significant diurnal temperature swings of 20°C or more. Dust storms from the Central Anatolian steppe pose additional contamination risks for precision laser optics and adhesive dispensing systems.

Moreover, Turkey's rapid renewable energy build-out has introduced grid instability: as of February 2026, 208 MW of storage-integrated wind and solar projects have been commissioned, with an additional 2–3 GW of energy storage capacity expected to come online. This creates voltage fluctuations and frequency deviations that challenge sensitive production equipment. The local technical workforce, while growing, lacks hands-on experience with high-speed laser welding, automated polarity detection, and fully contactless packaging systems.

Any viable solution had to be:

• Seismically hardened – with shock-absorbing mounts, flexible cable carriers, and redundant emergency-stop systems.

• Thermally compensated – with closed-loop cooling and heating systems maintaining ±1°C stability across all critical workstations.

• Grid-resilient – with active power conditioning and ride-through capability for voltage sags of up to 20%.

• Operator-accessible – with Turkish-language HMI, step-by-step diagnostic guidance, and a 6-week intensive training programme.

The Solution: An 11-Station Prismatic Module Assembly Powerhouse

In response, a purpose-engineered prismatic battery module production line was designed, fabricated, and commissioned over 18 months. The line integrates eleven core workstations, fully synchronised via a central MES (Manufacturing Execution System) with real-time traceability from individual cell QR codes to finished module serial numbers:

The entire floor footprint is 520 m² – remarkably compact for an annual capacity of 15,000 modules (equivalent to 5,000 EV battery packs or 75 MWh of stationary storage). Changeover between prismatic cell formats (VDA 355, 390, and custom 650 mm) is accomplished in under 35 minutes, enabling flexible production for both automotive OEMs and utility-scale energy storage system integrators.

Local Adaptation: Designed for Anatolia's Realities

To address Ankara's seismic, thermal, and grid challenges, engineers implemented several innovations:

• Seismic isolation platforms under the laser welding, gantry crane, and stacking stations – 4‑point air-spring mounts that absorb ground motion up to Magnitude 6.5 without interrupting production.

• Pressurised clean-air enclosures over laser optics, adhesive dispensing heads, and polarity sensors – reducing optics cleaning intervals from daily to weekly despite frequent dust storms.

• Dual-mode thermal management – a water‑glycol cooling loop for laser and electronics, supplemented by resistance heating pads that maintain minimum temperatures during winter nights, cutting energy consumption by 35% compared to air‑cooled alternatives.

• Active power conditioning units at each major workstation – providing ride-through capability for voltage sags of up to 20% for 500 ms, a critical feature given Turkey's rapidly evolving renewable-heavy grid.

Socio-Economic Impact & Government Alignment

The line was officially inaugurated on June 25, 2026, in a ceremony attended by representatives from the Ministry of Industry and Technology, the Development and Investment Bank of Türkiye (TKYB), and local industrial zone authorities. In his keynote address, Director General Özcan highlighted:

"This facility represents a decisive step toward Turkey's HIT-30 target of 80 GWh domestic battery capacity. By integrating prismatic module assembly – from OCV testing through laser welding to final gantry handling – we are not merely assembling cells; we are building a sovereign energy storage capability. This line will supply modules for Togg's Gemlik production, for Hyundai's İzmit plant, and for the grid-scale storage projects that will enable our 120 GW renewable energy target by 2035."

Local employment data shows the project has created 185 direct jobs – including 45 engineering positions – and an estimated 280 indirect jobs in logistics, maintenance, and local supplier networks. The joint venture has committed to increasing local content from 32% to 55% within three years, sourcing enclosures, cooling plates, busbars, and cable harnesses from Turkish suppliers in Bursa, İzmit, and Ankara.

Results at a Glance (First 30 Days)

Future Roadmap

Encouraged by the initial performance, the joint venture plans to install a second identical line by Q3 2027, doubling capacity to 30,000 modules annually. A cell-to-pack (CTP) upgrade is under evaluation for 2028, which would eliminate module-level packaging entirely for certain applications, further reducing cost and weight.

The Turkish government has designated the Polatlı zone as a "Battery Specialised Industrial Zone," offering VAT exemptions, customs duty exemptions, and accelerated permitting under the HIT‑30 framework. Three Turkish supplier companies have already announced plans to locate adjacent to the plant, producing cooling plates, busbars, and insulating materials.

As Ms. Yıldırım stated during the closing ceremony: "We are forging not just battery modules, but Turkey's energy independence – one laser weld at a time."

Conclusion: A Replicable Model for Seismic, Semi-Arid Electrification

This project proves that advanced prismatic battery automation can thrive outside traditional manufacturing hubs – provided the line is purpose‑adapted to local seismic conditions, temperature extremes, and grid dynamics. For Turkey, it marks the dawn of a domestic energy-storage ecosystem that strengthens energy security, creates high-value engineering careers, and positions the country as a regional battery champion serving Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

With the World Bank's ECARES programme identifying Turkey as "a trailblazer" for renewable energy and storage integration across Europe and Central Asia, this facility stands as a tangible proof point: Turkish industry can compete in the global battery value chain.