One of the most important industrial investments in recent months in Greater Poland is gaining momentum in Konin. JS Energy Europe, a Chinese company operating in the lithium-ion battery materials sector, has announced that it plans to launch the plant in 2026. The facility in question is the former factory built by Johnson Matthey, whose future had remained uncertain for several years. The new investor now says technological commissioning is scheduled for the summer, with initial production expected to begin by the end of the year.
At the same time, the company makes no secret of the fact that the project is still in the intensive construction phase. JS Energy Europe president Zhang Hui said that around 40 percent of the investment is currently complete, but the company is increasing the number of subcontractors in order to speed up the work. Recruitment is also underway. At present, about 50 people are employed in Konin — roughly 25 from Poland and 25 from China. The company plans to hire more staff before the end of the year, and in the optimistic scenario the number of Polish employees could eventually rise to around 200.
The crucial point, however, is that there is a significant difference between “starting production” and reaching full commercial output. According to the company president, the factory aims to launch the line this year, prepare samples of cathode material, and send them to customers for testing. Mass production itself is likely to begin only in 2027, because in this industry the product qualification process carried out by buyers can take anywhere from three to six months. Ultimately, the facility is expected to produce more than 20,000 tons of cathode materials annually for use in electric vehicle batteries.
For Konin, this is more than just another foreign investment. For several years, the city has been grappling with the consequences of the energy transition and the gradual closure of operations linked to lignite coal. At the same time, its population has been shrinking. In this context, new jobs in modern industry could become an important boost for the local labor market and a partial replacement for the employment once provided by declining sectors.
The story of the plant itself also reflects the scale of change in the global battery market. Johnson Matthey announced its investment in Konin in 2019, but in November 2021 it declared that it was exiting the battery materials business, citing high capital intensity and worsening profitability in the face of growing competition. The acquisition of the Konin facility was eventually finalized by the Chinese company Ningbo Ronbay New Energy Technology. This was followed by design work and preparations to rebuild the factory for JS Energy Europe’s production technology.
The new investment fits into the broader race to secure a place in Europe’s electric mobility supply chain. Cathode materials are one of the key components of batteries, and producing them in Europe is strategically important not only economically, but also geopolitically. For Poland, this means maintaining a foothold in the fast-growing battery sector. For Konin, it offers a chance that, after years of industrial decline, the city may once again become an important point on the map of advanced manufacturing. For now, however, the key question remains whether the company will indeed manage to complete the technological start-up before the end of 2026.
