According to OfWeek, on March 1, the No. 5 Gigafactory project at the Fuding Times lithium-ion battery production base officially topped out. The project commenced construction on October 21, 2024, and is expected to be operational by August 2025.
With a construction timeline of just 4 months and 10 days, the project set a new record for the fastest civil construction phase in CATL’s history. This milestone marks significant progress for the No. 5 Gigafactory, bringing it one step closer to completion and production.
A representative from CATL’s product line stated, “During the construction of the Fuding Times No. 5 Gigafactory, the Fuding municipal government provided proactive support, helping us coordinate and resolve challenges in project advancement. The design, construction, and supervision teams worked closely together, driving progress with high standards and efficiency. Thanks to everyone's joint efforts, we ensured the smooth execution of the project.”
The No. 5 Gigafactory covers a total building area of 230,000 square meters and houses four world-class new energy battery production lines equipped with advanced intelligent manufacturing technology. Once completed, the factory will have an annual production capacity of 25GWh of new energy power batteries.
Development Timeline of the Fuding Times Lithium-Ion Battery Production Base
The Fuding Times lithium-ion battery production base was established in December 2020 in Qianqi Town, Fuding City. As CATL’s largest single-site project globally, it has a planned total capacity of 120GWh across five factory buildings, with a projected industrial output of over RMB 100 billion, driving the growth of upstream and downstream industries.
Following the project's announcement, the approval process was accelerated—land conversion for 2,064 acres was completed in just one month, and 8,000 acres of land acquisition was finalized within 66 days, enabling immediate construction upon land handover. The Fuding municipal government also set up a dedicated task force and reserved an additional 11,000 acres in Jiayang for future expansion, allowing for the construction of 12 new workshops with a planned capacity of 180GWh.
January 2021 – Phase 1 of the Fuding Times lithium-ion battery production base officially broke ground, with the first pile foundation laid.
December 2021 – The first production line of Phase 1 was put into operation, the No. 2 cell factory was completed and commissioned, and construction of the No. 4 factory began, achieving the milestone of “breaking ground and starting production within the same year.” The Phase 1 project, with an investment of RMB 17 billion, aimed to establish a 60GWh lithium battery manufacturing base.
2022 – The Phase 2 and Phase 3 environmental impact assessments were approved, with each phase planning an additional capacity of approximately 30GWh.
September 2022 – All four cell factories (No. 1 to No. 4) commenced production, and the module factory was put into use, bringing the total completed facility area to 1.5 million square meters and increasing the workforce to 6,300 employees.
2023 – An environmental impact assessment was announced for the Phase 3 expansion project, which included plans to add a 6GWh cell production line within the No. 4 cell factory, increasing total production capacity by 6GWh.
February 2023 – Construction of the No. 5 Gigafactory began, designed as the world's largest single-cell factory with a total building area of 230,000 square meters and an annual capacity of 25GWh.
October 21, 2024 – The No. 5 Gigafactory officially commenced construction, featuring four world-class new energy battery production lines.
March 1, 2025 – The No. 5 Gigafactory topped out after just 131 days of construction and is expected to be operational by August 2025.
As of now, the Fuding Times production base has completed and commissioned four cell factories (No. 1 to No. 4) and a module factory, with a total capacity exceeding 85GWh. Once the No. 5 Gigafactory begins production, the overall capacity will reach 110GWh.
Accelerating Growth with CATL’s "Ningde Speed"
From its signing in 2020 to the topping-out of the No. 5 Gigafactory in 2025, the Fuding Times lithium-ion battery production base has continuously set new records in global lithium battery industry construction. The rapid execution of this project solidifies CATL’s global leadership in power battery manufacturing and strengthens its position as a core pillar of the industry.
Source：https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/Wehz2l8Ri3x0hcoobNiy_Q
