With an investment of €9m, Wallbox will set up its new production plant in Barcelona’s Zona Franca

• Today, Wallbox and the Barcelona Zona Franca signed a lease agreement running until 2031, thus reinstating their vision to lead in modernizing the industry and the transition to a new, more sustainable economy in Spain.

• The facilities will be at the forefront of innovation, efficiency, production capacity, and sustainability, pioneering the implementation of the “Cradle to Cradle” concept at the industrial level.

Barcelona, March 15, 2021– Wallbox has opted for the Barcelona Zona Franca area to install a new plant, expand its production capacity and continue supplying the growing demand for its products in Spain and abroad. This morning, Wallbox CEO Enric Asunción met with Pere Navarro, special State delegate of the CZFB (Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona), at the headquarters of the entity to sign a 10-year lease contract. 

“The new factory is a huge step for the future of not only Wallbox but also the Spanish automotive industry, which is, like everywhere else on the planet, embracing electrification. Zona Franca has the ideal infrastructure and environment for setting up a state-of-the-art factory that will allow us to continue bolstering our leadership in the electric charging and energy management sector at a global level,” said Wallbox CEO Enric Asunción. He continued by adding that “the global trend is for economic recovery to have sustainability as one of its pillars, based on innovation that builds cleaner and more environmentally efficient technologies, and we are fully committed to accelerating this process in the mobility sector by creating a factory to serve as the cornerstone for building a global electromobility hub in Spain.”

During the signing ceremony, Pere Navarro made it clear that “Barcelona’s Zona Franca takes pride in having been chosen as the site for the new Wallbox factory, and also to host this remarkable company, one that excels in a high-growth sector such as electric car charging and invests massively in R&D to develop cutting-edge sustainable technologies at a global level. These decisions unquestionably bolster our aim to lead the transition towards a new economy based on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals,” concluded Navarro.

The new factory (video here) will cover a 16,800 m2 plot of land, with an 11,220 m2 warehouse that will undergo extensive refurbishment in the coming months to adapt it to the production, validation and storage activities the company plans to carry out from there. Production lines are scheduled to start up in the fourth quarter of this year. Wallbox’s expansion plan includes plans to double the number of employees, eventually reaching 800 employees by the end of 2021, a quarter of whom will be directly or indirectly involved in the production process. 

Wallbox currently has a factory in Sant Andreu de la Barca, which covers its production needs to supply its products to over 60 markets, and another factory in China exclusively for supplying this market. By incorporating these new facilities, Wallbox expects to meet the growing demand in the different markets where it is present, thus doubling its production capacity. 

A benchmark in Spain’s automotive industry, Barcelona’s Zona Franca has an ambitious reindustrialization plan that is attracting companies and fostering trust among companies that are set to have a high impact not only on their immediate environment but also on industries that will lead the global economy in the coming years, such as Wallbox. 

The future is now, factory 4.0

Some of the factory’s major innovations include becoming a benchmark in the industry by integrating Factory 4.0 systems, in addition to energy use, LEAN process management systems, and the implementation of the “Cradle to Cradle” concept in all adaptation works.

A 4.0 factory, also referred to as “of the future” or “smart”, features decentralized and automated decision-making, because the processing of data obtained during the production process is exponentially fast and permits real-time analysis and fine-tuning, high levels of automation and interconnection through the industry-applied Internet of Things (IoT).

The factory will incorporate an innovative energy management system that, through energy regeneration, will allow 75% of the energy consumed in the production process to be reused and returned to the internal energy grid. In addition, photovoltaic solar panels with 30 kW capacity will be installed so that solar power will cover between 30% and 60% of the production. This approach is expected to achieve daily savings equivalent to the energy consumption of an 80-unit residential building. Photovoltaic energy is expected to expand in the future and supply up to 90% of the energy needs for production.

The “Cradle to Cradle” concept, to be pioneered in the factory’s refurbishment works, seeks to eliminate waste generation through design and eco-efficient materials. The company has already applied the concept in the renovation and refurbishment of its corporate headquarters, also located in Zona Franca, and is part of the company’s commitment to promote sustainability in all aspects of its business. 

With these new facilities, Wallbox reasserts its position as a bellwether not only through its production model but also in the contribution to the urban and road model of Smart Cities worldwide.

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About Wallbox

Wallbox is a global company, dedicated to changing the way the world uses energy in the electric vehicle industry. Wallbox creates smart charging systems that combine innovative technology with outstanding design and manage the communication between vehicle, grid, building and charger.

Wallbox offers a complete portfolio of charging and energy management solutions for residential and semi-public use in more than 60 countries, and soon will begin commercializing public charging solutions as well.

Founded in 2015, with headquarters in Barcelona, Wallbox’s mission is to facilitate the adoption of electric vehicles today to make more sustainable use of energy tomorrow. The company employs over 500 people in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

About the CZFB (Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona)

CZFB is a state-run company financed entirely with its own funds, including industrial leases at the Zona Franca Industrial Complex in Barcelona, and asset management. While its main field of activity encompasses the industrial complex and customs free zone, it also develops buildings, urban and industrial properties, serves as a driving force for business transformation towards the economy 4.0, and organizes events of economic interest for Barcelona such as the SIL logistics forum or the BMP real estate trade fair.

Its board of directors comprises representatives of the Spanish government, the Barcelona City Council and the city’s main economic entities.